Chance Meetings
by RemTar85
Summary: Claw befriends a young boy who stumbles upon the Labyrinth. However, after recognizing the boy from before he was a mutate, so does Fang, who plans to use this to his personal gain.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following the episode "The Journey".

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 1: New Place**

**By RemTar85**

"Well, that lasted long enough," muttered a young boy at the sound of rising voices. He got up from his bed and walked to the door of his small bedroom, to make sure it was locked. He sighed as he heard the voices of the two adults much clearer now.

"Why the hell is there no food done, Carmen? I spend a long day working, the very least I can expect when I get to my house is some goddamn food waiting for me!"

"And what do you think I do all day, idiot? I have to work, do all the house chores, and take care of my kid! The least you could do is get your sorry ass to a diner and pay up for some food for yourself!"

The boy decided that he had enough listening in and stepped away from the door. At the age of eleven, Daniel Sykes had to deal with more things than anybody at that age should, and he was fully aware of it, though he did his best at ignoring it. A skinny boy with short brown hair and hazel eyes, Daniel was small for his age, and being shy and introverted, it made him a target for local bullies. Though he hated to be bullied by other kids, it was his home situation that made the whole thing most unbearable.

Daniel felt that he lived okay enough with his mother after his father had walked out on them when he was six years old. His mother had a hard time raising him and was often too busy to even give him any family time, but he had an uncle who helped him out every once in a while, something he greatly appreciated, as did Daniel's mother. The day his uncle suddenly disappeared without a word, though, everything went downhill for Daniel's family. His mother had an even harder time keeping things going, and later she met a man whom she thought was the perfect man, and married him only a couple of months after having met him. It was only after the marriage when he revealed his true colors as a complete jerk, and with that, Daniel's mother's behavior took a turn for the worse.

The boy sat in his bed, looking around the small bedroom, with its sparse furniture, piles of comic books on each surface except the floor. He was trying to find something that would distract him from that argument his mother and stepfather were having. Daniel cringed at the sound of the door slamming shut, and he shook his head in frustration. He had gone through this situation before, and he hated it. He knew his mother had just gotten angry enough at her husband that she decided to just go out and stay out all night with her friends. Now his stepfather would either sit in front of the television all night or he too would go spend the whole night out with his friends, and in the process, neither of them would bother to check on Daniel.

Daniel got off his bed and started looking around his room for any spare change. He always felt that being ignored and forgotten was even worse than being yelled at to prepare his own meals when he said he was hungry. After spending one night alone in his house with no cooking experience and nothing to eat but some cookies, Daniel was not about to go hungry again, so he had taken on the habit of sneaking out of the house to eat. However, he rarely got any money as it was. The little he ever received from his mother as a weekly allowance, he mostly spent on comic books and some snacks. And, as it had happened many times before, he found no money in his room this time.

"This is such a hassle. I hope I won't have to beg much today," the boy muttered to himself. Getting a long pair of jeans, a comfortable t-shirt and a clean pair of sneakers, he got dressed quickly and sneaked out the window silently, into the fire escape built outside it. He knew it was dangerous for a child his age to be alone in the streets, especially with the night fast approaching, and he always hated to beg people for money so he could eat something, but he didn't see any other choice to his predicament. Walking out of the alley, Daniel looked up at the cloudless sky in the warm summer afternoon, and set off on his way.

* * *

"… four hundred ninety-eight… four hundred ninety-nine… five hundred," Fang counted out loud as he finished doing his daily routine of push-ups. The brown-furred mutate got up and wiped the bit of dirt off of his hands on his spare blanket, then went to his cot and lied down on his back.

It would have been obvious to anyone that Fang was restless, and considering that he was in a small cell with nothing but a cot, a toilet, a small sink, and two blankets, one could not really blame him. After his initial escape along with Demona and Thailog, Talon made sure to put Fang in a less comfortable cell than he had before, as punishment for joining up with the bitter enemies of Goliath's clan. Fang despised the tiny cell he was locked in, how he barely had any room to stretch his wings, and that clear yet tough material that made up the whole entrance to the cell effectively did its job in keeping him in and his powers in check. It infuriated him that he couldn't even get a television or radio, and his only entertainment was doing as much exercise as he could to keep himself strong and in shape. He did prefer his mutate form over his previous human one, and even though he knew he could not just go outside and walk down the street anymore, he had a sense of pride in trying to remain as fit as possible.

Fang remained quiet, staring at the ceiling while he daydreamed of all the things he could do if he ever managed to escape successfully. He frowned, remembering his previous escape attempts. Siding with Demona and Thailog months before had proven unsuccessful, and only made him despise Talon even more so than before due to how easily Talon beat him. A couple of months afterwards, he had managed to slip out of his cell in Christmas Eve, finding it to have been left accidentally unlocked by a man who had brought him his meal, while the Labyrinth's inhabitants celebrated the holidays with a party of their own. However, he had been caught mere minutes later, not being able to even get near any possible exits when the gargoyle clones noticed and stopped him, thus making him develop an intense hatred for them as well.

A knock brought Fang's attention towards the door of his cell, and there stood Claw, carrying a tray of food for Fang. He pressed a button on the wall next to the transparent wall of the cell, which made a door on the corner next to the button unlock and slide open a few inches. Pulling it open a little further with one hand, Claw set the tray on the floor and quickly pushed the door, which closed and locked instantly, as Fang got up to pick up his meal.

"About time, I'm starving here. How much time has it been since lunch? What, too busy taking care of the bums and those retard clones? Better shape up, Claw, old pal, at this pace you couldn't work at a Denny's to save your life," Fang ranted, to which Claw replied with a simple eye roll, causing Fang to continue his retorts. "What, you don't like having the truth rubbed on your face? The only reason you do the little eye rolls and head shaking is because of this damn plastic thing between us, and you know it, mutie traitor."

Claw would have sighed if it could have been heard. He hated it when Fang got like this. Normally annoying, Fang would be downright unbearable at times, and Claw seemed to be the main target, even more so than Talon. Perhaps it was because Claw decided to be in charge of taking Fang his meals, so he saw more of Fang than either Talon or Maggie did, as well as the fact that Fang had never forgiven Claw for betraying him. Claw especially disliked Fang's new nickname for him, 'mutie', as it was Fang's way of calling him both mute and mutate all in one word. The tiger mutate did not like to be reminded of when he let Fang bully him around and do things he didn't want to, but he was determined to show that Fang couldn't intimidate him anymore, cell or no cell. He also felt it was a big responsibility for him to keep Fang in check and locked up.

"Does Talon enjoy making me suffer, Claw?" Fang asked, growling as he eyed the contents of his tray, which contained rather burnt and quite greasy pieces of chicken, cold mashed potatoes, a red apple and a tall glass of water. "What the hell is this crap?"

Claw had to force himself not to grin at Fang's reaction. It was the fifth time in a week that he complained about the food. Claw had to admit that Fang did get practically just the leftovers, but considering they had a lot of people to feed in the Labyrinth, Fang simply couldn't get the better dishes, as they were pretty much reserved for the inhabitants. Merely shrugging a reply to Fang's inquiries, Claw started walking away.

"And I've told you a thousand times that I hate apples!" Fang yelled loudly, throwing the apple at the clear cell door, where part of it smashed into a pulp, leaving the clear material quite stained, bits of apple now falling to the floor. Claw simply ignored this and continued on his way, while an angry Fang begrudgingly began eating.

* * *

Daniel did not know how many hours had passed since he had gone out to beg for money, but his legs were sore and he was tired, so he decided to take a break, sitting on the bench of a bus stop. The boy sighed as he dug into his pockets and took out some coins. He had made only a little over two dollars, simply not enough to buy dinner. He wasn't exactly honest when asking for money, saying that he needed some change to call his parents to pick him up. He only ever received some loose change from passersby, but when he had enough of it, he'd change it for bills at a grocery store, then have dinner at any nearby diner, and then go home. This day, however, asking for money had not been a successful task. The fact that his clothes were clean was enough for people to not believe him, thinking he would instead use it on an arcade or to spend on toys or candy.

Daniel got up and began walking again, thinking that perhaps he'd have better luck asking for money somewhere else. Looking up into the sky, he could see the sun setting, dusk settling in. He was not worried about getting home late, as his mother and stepfather never really noticed he would go out to get dinner for himself whenever they forgot about him. What worried him was walking alone at night in the streets of New York, knowing that all sorts of bad things could happen to him, but he knew it was either venture out or go to bed without eating.

"Come on, Helen. We have to get there early. Tonight they're having lots of pizza, and I ain't missing out on the extra cheese ones."

"Don't worry, Anthony, we'll get there on time."

Daniel turned his head as he heard those voices, and saw a black man in around his thirties, walking a few feet ahead of a blonde woman who looked a few years younger than the man. From the rather raggedy and unkempt aspect of their clothes, Daniel guessed they were homeless. As he watched them hurry away, Daniel remembered the man's words, and he decided to follow them. He figured they were on their way to a homeless shelter, and perhaps there he could eat without having to spend time collecting more money.

The homeless couple walked for about a block, when they turned and entered an alley between two buildings, and Daniel was quick to follow. It was then when he noticed the lady named Helen moving to a manhole, the lid missing from it. She went down the manhole first with the man named Anthony right behind her, and, making sure to remain a bit of distance behind, Daniel followed suit. He had never heard of any homeless shelters underground, much less in a sewer, and he wondered much about where exactly the people he was following were heading, but ultimately, hunger and curiosity kept him going.

He went down the ladder and tried to figure out where the couple went. Though he could not see them, he could hear their footsteps echoing down the tunnel a moment after his eyes adjusted to the very dim light, so he followed them, trying his best to ignore the stench of the sewer. He wondered how much longer it would take to arrive wherever this pizza was to be served, when he exited the tunnel, and noticed that instead of continuing in another sewer, it came out in a subway tunnel. From the look of the surroundings, it seemed to be abandoned, so Daniel continued walking without any worries about subway trains barreling by.

The homeless people walked for a few more minutes, until they came to what appeared to be a steel wall. However, Daniel, who was still following without being seen, noticed that it was actually a large, metallic, sliding door, which was open a few feet. As he watched them enter through there, he walked closer, listening to voices on the other side. Upon entering, he knew he had arrived at the right place as he watched many people in the large main area of the enormous room he had entered. He saw many of them carrying slices of pizza, sodas and other items like breadsticks and garlic bread. Going by unnoticed, the hungry child began to search for wherever the food was served, walking amidst the crowd.

* * *

"Here you go, James, you can get your drink at the other table," said Talon to a homeless man as he handed him a slice of pizza and some breadsticks and sauce. He had been busy the entire time since the food arrived. Having spent the whole time serving up food, he had not gotten any chance to eat yet, and the smell of pizza had been making his stomach grumble. He cared very much for the people in the Labyrinth, but he knew that some could at times get a little greedy and took more than their fair share, so he and the others had to make sure everybody got equal rations.

"Sarah, would you mind taking over for me while I go have my dinner? I'll really appreciate it," Talon asked a middle-aged woman who had been setting many glasses of soda at another table.

"Of course, Talon. Lord knows you work hard enough as it is," said the woman, walking over and standing on the spot Talon previously occupied, and she immediately set to work on giving food to the few remaining Labyrinth residents who had not been served their dinner yet.

"Thanks, Sarah, you're a lifesaver," said Talon with a smile on his face, and he wasted no time in gathering two slices of pizza for himself, along with a big glass of soda and some pieces of garlic bread.

Talon walked over to a small table, in which Maggie was also sitting at, already halfway through her meal. The female mutate greeted her mate with a smile, and an also smiling Talon joined her, sitting down and immediately taking a big bite of one of his slices of pizza. The panther mutate quickly ate, and had already finished almost all of his meal when Maggie, who had just finished eating, tapped him on the shoulder.

"Derek, look over there," said Maggie, referring to her mate by his real name and pointing to the direction Talon had come from. "I've never seen that boy before."

Talon looked curious as he chewed and swallowed his last piece of garlic bread, and he looked over at the direction Maggie pointed at. Indeed, he noticed a boy he did not know, who appeared to be looking over to see where food could be obtained, where the few people who had not yet eaten were getting their dinner. Talon, Maggie and Claw knew every single person that lived down there, and the sudden appearance of a young boy with no company concerned the panther mutate. He downed the rest of his soda, then after setting his glass down on the table, he studied the child from afar.

"He looks like he's all by himself, he looks healthy enough, and he's clean, just like his clothes," Talon observed. "He's definitely not homeless. A missing kid means police searching, and we can't draw attention to the Labyrinth. Elisa might be able to helps us with some things here, but she wouldn't be able to keep police from coming down here to look for a missing kid."

"You're right," said Maggie. "Let's go talk to him."

Both mutates stood and walked over to where the child stood. He was still looking over at the table with the food when Talon reached him and looked down at him. Much taller, Talon stooped down to get the boy's attention, as he seemed too transfixed on the food to even notice Talon standing next to him.

"Excuse me," Talon said as he patted the child's shoulder. The boy finally turned around, and he stood silent, staring at Talon, his eyes widening. The boy then gasped, let out a little yelp, and stumbled back, clearly startled by Talon's appearance. As he backed away, the boy noticed Maggie as well, and he backed up a little further, looking startled and intimidated.

"What in the heck are you?!"

"Oh, dear…" Maggie muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly and thinking that they should have approached the child a little more carefully. A few of the residents of the Labyrinth were looking over, but otherwise, they went unnoticed as everybody ate. Maggie turned her attention back to her mate and the boy, to see Talon looking very awkward as he tried to calm the startled boy down.

"Um… look, I'm sorry I scared you," said Talon as he neared the boy a little more. "Yes, I know I look weird, but I assure you, I'm not a bad guy. I just want to know your name and how you ended up down here."

"J-just… just don't come near me, okay?"

After this reply, the boy moved a couple of steps further back. The panther mutate neared the boy a little more, but he only kept backing away, unable to turn his gaze away from Talon. Talon himself looked even more awkward right now as he hunched down into a crouching position, obviously wanting to go down to the child's level in an effort to appear less intimidating.

"I mean it, seriously. I won't hurt you, I just need you to tell me your name and how you ended up in here," said Talon, still to no avail. Upon receiving no answer, he stood up once more and turned around, so the boy would not see his frustrated expression as he muttered, "Ah, damn it, I'm so bad when it comes to kids…"

* * *

Claw covered his snout with a large hand to cover up a burp. He had just finished his dinner and was feeling satisfied, and looking forward to some relaxation time, perhaps read one of those books that Goliath had brought him recently. Grabbing a notepad and pencil from the table, he walked to a nearby trash bin, tossed away the disposable dishes and drinking glass he used for his meal, and decided to go to his room. However, his attention was picked as he noticed Talon and Maggie approach a boy he had never seen, who seemed to be looking for where to get at the food.

Curious now, Claw stayed in place to see what would happen. As he watched, he couldn't help but find himself amused at the sight of a kneeling Talon's unsuccessful attempt at speaking with the boy and earn his trust. Funny as it was to watch, Claw knew it was best to help out, as he noticed Talon getting frustrated and Maggie trying her best to calm him down, whereas the boy looked like he was quite ready to run away.

Talon and Maggie noticed Claw walk towards them, as did the child, who had to crane his neck back to look at the tallest of the winged, humanoid felines. With a smile and a friendly look towards the boy, Claw slowly knelt down on the floor a few feet from the boy, and he began to write on his notepad. Talon and Maggie stayed silent as well, looking attentively. As Claw finished writing, he ripped the page off the notepad and held it out for the boy to take. He noticed that despite still looking most intimidated, the boy now had an expression of curiosity. Slowly and rather apprehensively, he reached over and took the piece of paper from the winged tiger-man, and he proceeded to read it.

"Hello. I can't really talk like my friends, so I hope you don't mind me communicating like this. Speaking of which, don't worry about them, they're nice and don't bite, and neither do I, even though we look like this. My name is Claw. What's yours?"

Looking up from the note after reading it, the boy looked at Claw once more, and finally spoke, "I'm… um… my name is Daniel."

Claw smiled after successfully getting a reply from Daniel, and he started to write again. Talon and Maggie were still silent and attentive, though Talon had a raised eyebrow as he watched the interaction between Claw and Daniel. He watched as Claw ripped the second note and handed it to the boy, his sharp eyesight helping him read it easily, just like the first one. Daniel took the note, much less reluctantly now.

"I noticed you looking over at the food, so I'll assume you're hungry. How would you like to have dinner first? We can talk about stuff later when you're all good and satisfied, and I'll answer any questions you may have. Deal?"

Daniel finished reading the note, holding it along with the first one. He looked over at the table with the food, noticing there wasn't much left. He then looked over at the smiling mutate and nodded, "Okay, sure. It's a deal."

Claw grinned this time, and he was pleased to see that despite having a mouth full of very sharp teeth, the child was not intimidated by him anymore. Claw took a second to write a third note, and quickly presented it to Daniel, who took and read it, then smiled.

"Up on your shoulders? You bet!"

Still grinning, Claw offered a large hand to the boy, who took it without any hesitation. Carefully, he picked Daniel up and set him up on his shoulders, then stood up to his full height. Daniel smiled again as Claw reached up and steadied him with his hands, though he too held on to the mutate's hands, just in case. Talon and Maggie stood there as Claw took Daniel to the food table and started picking out the items that Daniel said he liked best, making quite a show of holding them steadily while carrying the boy on his shoulders. As Claw and his new friend went off to find a place to sit, Maggie smiled and put her arms around one of Talon's.

"Wasn't that just adorable?" she asked her mate, looking up at him.

"Yeah," replied Talon, looking down at Maggie with a confused and slightly frustrated expression. "How does he always do that? Every time children arrive here for the first time, it's always Claw who befriends them with no problems at all."

"Well, he's really good with children, and I guess that among children, tigers are always very popular when it comes to the kinds of animals they like," Maggie replied, and as Talon smiled, shook his head and scoffed a bit, Maggie backed up a step from him, giggling. "And I guess your breath didn't help much."

"Excuse me?" asked Talon, looking baffled.

"You were eating garlic bread before talking to Daniel, and then you crouched down and talked to him from very close," Maggie explained, still giggling. "Think about it, if you were a little boy, how would you feel if a big, winged panther suddenly appeared and started questioning you while his breath smelled of garlic?"

"Oh, real funny," said Talon, trying to look offended, but he couldn't help it as he also started laughing moments later. Talon then put an arm around Maggie's shoulders and they walked away together, "Come on, little Miss Comedian, let's find me some breath mints."

* * *

"Wow. All of that happened to you? That's really messed up," Daniel said, setting down a note on a small pile that had formed.

Claw nodded at the boy. They were by themselves on a table, and Daniel had finished eating when he asked to know more about Claw and the others. The tiger-man had then set on a long written explanation, handing Daniel note after note where he explained as best as he could, from how he had been turned from human to mutate by a deranged scientist, to how they had come to live in the Labyrinth and turn it into a shelter for those who needed it, though he decided the boy did not need to know a few of the bad details, like his time serving as Fang's lackey. Picking up his notepad again, he wrote another note, handing it to Daniel.

"_I know, but nothing else to do but deal with it. But it's all been about me so far. What about you, Daniel? You got here hungry and all by yourself, but you don't look homeless. Can you tell me more?"_

"Oh, right," Daniel said, looking a little apprehensive now. "Well, things at my house aren't really well. Sometimes I go out to buy dinner for myself, but I didn't have enough money tonight, and got lucky when I followed a pair of homeless people all the way here."

Claw nodded, reached across the table and patted the boy's shoulder, a sympathetic look on his face. Behind Daniel's back, though, he noticed Talon motioning to his wrist, then hold up nine fingers. Claw immediately turned his attention to Daniel and quickly wrote on his notepad.

"_It's nine o' clock, Daniel. Maybe it's about time you went home, just in case."_

"Nine? Aw, man, I didn't even notice!" Daniel said, looking a little panicked. "You're right, I better get home before anyone notices I'm gone."

Daniel made to get up, but Claw shook his head. He extended his wings and flapped them a couple of times, patting himself on the chest, then grinned. Daniel smiled upon making sense of it.

"You're saying you'll fly me home?" Daniel asked.

Claw nodded and gave the boy a thumbs-up. Talon had not moved from where he stood, and motioned for Claw to join him. The tiger mutate turned back to the human boy and pointed towards Talon, making Daniel turn and notice him. Claw then tapped at his snout, and Daniel nodded, understanding what Claw meant.

"Okay, I can wait till you finish talking with him," Daniel said. "And, please let him know that I say sorry for being so spooked earlier. But just don't tell him I said he has garlic breath, okay?"

Claw looked like he was about to burst out laughing, then nodded, picked up his notepad and pencil, and walked away. Talon raised an eyebrow as he saw the amused look on Claw's face as the bigger mutate neared him, and the panther mutate looked rather grumpy, which Claw took as a clear sign that he had heard the boy's comment. Once Claw reached his friend, Talon motioned for Claw to follow, and they walked towards a more secluded part of the Labyrinth, near where they had their rooms. Maggie stood waiting there, and smiled as they arrived.

"Did you find out more about him, Claw?" she asked.

Claw nodded, and started writing out quick details on his notepad. A few moments later, he handed out the notes to Talon and Maggie, who quickly checked them out.

"Daniel Sykes, eleven years old, lives not far from here with mother and stepfather," Talon muttered as his eyes quickly scanned the notes. "So he's not a runaway."

"Mother and stepfather are not exactly the best role models, so he sneaked out his house to have dinner and stumbled upon the Labyrinth after following two residents," Maggie continued. "So that must mean they probably haven't noticed he's not at home."

"True, but they could notice any minute now," Talon replied. "I thought about calling Elisa so she could take him back to his place, but I saw you offering to take him, Claw. I guess it's best if you do that, it'll be quicker than calling Elisa and waiting for her to come by."

Claw replied with a nod, gave his fellow mutates a quick wave of his hand, and went on his way. His friends followed him part of the way and watched from a distance as Claw reached the waiting boy. Maggie chuckled when Claw picked Daniel up and set him up on his shoulders before walking away, while Talon remained stoic. Noticing this, Maggie looked up at her mate's serious face.

"Oh, come on, Derek. You can't tell me that wasn't cute," she said, still smiling.

"It's just that this is the first time this happens," Talon said. "Kid who isn't homeless, or an orphan, or a runaway, just wanders in here, sees us, haves dinner. Claw says he sneaked out and his parents wouldn't notice it, but what if they did? What if they noticed he had gone only a minute after he sneaked out? He'll very probably want to come back now, and who knows what kind of trouble there could be if he was ever reported missing…"

"Derek, dear," Maggie interrupted him, "you're being paranoid and you worry too much."

"It's better to be safe than sorry."

"Well, it does seem Claw has taken a liking to the boy. How about we wait for Claw to return, then we can work out a way for Daniel to come by every once in a while and stay a certain amount of time, always making sure his parents never notice he's not home," Maggie suggested.

"Sounds reasonable," Talon said. "Okay, we'll do that."

"Hey!" a loud voice echoed from a nearby hallway. "I'm starving to death here! Where's my damn food?! Claw, you better get your worthless mutie self over here and bring me something to eat!"

"Oh, crap," Talon muttered as he heard Fang's screams. "We forgot about him."

"We all got too distracted with Daniel," Maggie said. "I'll go take him some food so he'll quiet down."

"No, I'll do it," Talon quickly said, preferring to keep Maggie as far away from Fang as possible. "He'll probably quiet down after a few insults at me. How about you go check on the clones? Maybe take them out for a stroll in the tunnels if they're bickering over the remote again."

"Okay," Maggie said with a smile, kissing Talon's cheek afterwards. "I'll see you later."

Talon also smiled while watching Maggie walk away. The smile faded as he heard more of Fang's screams for food, and with a sigh, he moved to the empty tables, which were now being cleared out of all leftovers, disposable dishes and drinking cups by a few Labyrinth residents, and the tables themselves were to be stocked in a storage room soon afterwards. He picked up three remaining slices of cheese pizza and put them on a plate, noticing that they were cold, but not really paying attention to it. Walking to the kitchen area, he served up a tall glass of water as quickly as he could, for Fang had yelled for the third time and Talon was just eager to quiet him down. Picking up the plate of pizza and glass of water, he went to the cell area, where Fang greeted him with a scowl.

"About damn time," the brown-furred mutate growled, pressed up against the transparent wall. "Where the hell's Claw?"

"He had other things to attend to," Talon replied wearily. "Back off."

"Of course, oh great leader," Fang all but spat in sarcasm. He moved against the opposite wall and watched as Talon slipped his food in, then moved quickly to pick it up after the door closed. "Oh, give me a freaking break. Do you know how gross cold pizza is?"

"You're a walking electric generator," Talon replied. "Give it a few sparks. That should heat it up."

"Heats it up and gets the crust soggy," Fang mumbled. "Cold food and water. Water, water, nothing but water. Why not just go for bread and water, and give me black and white clothes to match? Snap an iron ball and chain on my ankle and we got the whole combo."

"You should have thought of that before trying to bully your way into power, Fang."

"That was over a year ago!"

"Then breaking out and going along with Demona and Thailog."

"Last October, and we're in June now!" Fang retorted to Talon's facts. "How long are you gonna keep me cooped up in this damn cell?"

"I don't know, honestly," Talon admitted. "I guess as soon as you can show some progress into behaving yourself appropriately, then we can at least start letting you out, at times."

"Did I just hear you say 'at times', Talon?" Fang growled, setting his food down on his bed before moving back to face the taller mutate through the clear wall that separated them.

"Yes, at times," Talon replied. "You don't just get to go out as simply as that, Fang, not after what you did. Trust is something you'll have to regain, and it's a slow process."

"Bullshit," Fang growled. "How the hell am I supposed to show I can behave out of here if you don't even give me a chance to get out and show you?"

"You could at least change your attitude," Talon sneered, walking away. "That would be a welcome enough start."

Fang breathed slowly and deeply, trying his best to suppress his rage as he watched Talon walk away. He felt like screaming, kicking, blasting things to tiny pieces, and especially give a severe beating to the panther mutate. Electricity crackled along his arms, as he kept breathing deeply, trying to calm down. Looking down at his hands, he let his electricity course through them, all the way up to his forearms and elbows. He put more power into it, listening to the crackling sound in the air, and now he could feel the electricity along the whole length of his arms. He could see it coming out in jolts, like a lightning storm was trapped inside the cell, and Fang had to smirk as he remember that one character in that old Kurt Russell movie he liked so much. He let the electricity die down and, feeling a lot calmer, he sat down and picked up his plate of cold pizza.

"Been saving power this whole time and still going," Fang said to himself, biting down and grimacing on the awful taste of the cold pizza. "Gonna get outta here sooner or later, and when I do, I'll… I'll get myself a decent meal, this stupid pizza tastes like crap!"

* * *

Despite Claw's firm, safe hold on him, Daniel clung on tightly to the mutate's neck. When Claw had proposed to fly him home, Daniel did not think twice in accepting the offer immediately. As soon as Claw had taken off with Daniel in his arms, the boy grabbed a hold of the mutate and had not let go for a single second. Even though it was rather scary, Daniel also found the experience of flying quite astounding, and he was really enjoying getting to see the city from so high, even if the night air was rather chilly despite it being summer, and eventually his hold on the tiger mutate's neck was more for security than fear.

Daniel would have liked to fly for longer, but knew he had to get home, so he pointed Claw in the direction to his apartment building. Arriving at the area, Claw allowed Daniel the chance to fly around for a few more minutes, but eventually he landed on the roof of Daniel's apartment building. Claw set Daniel down, and held him steady quickly afterwards as the boy stumbled slightly.

"Whoa. I guess flying like that and keeping steady after landing takes a little getting used to," Daniel said, making Claw smile. "Is it okay if I visit you again, Claw?"

Claw continued to smile and nodded in a positive reply to the boy's question. He walked alongside Daniel to the building's fire escape. Taking a quick look around to make sure nobody was peeking out of any windows from the apartments on the nearby buildings, Claw patted one of Daniel's shoulders and gave him a thumbs up with his other hand.

"I'll make sure to go when my mom and stepfather don't notice," Daniel said, "so there won't be any trouble. And thanks for the ride, Claw, it was the coolest thing ever!"

Claw grinned and winked at the boy, patting himself on the chest and holding up the index finger of his other hand in the air. Daniel chuckled at this and began going down the ladder, stopping for just a moment to speak, "Yeah, you're definitely number one. Bye, Claw. I'll see you again soon, I hope!"

Claw remained on the roof, peering down the edge as he watched his new young friend descend the fire escape stairs. When he saw Daniel enter through a window, Claw jumped over the side of the building, extending his wings to glide to the roof of the building next door, and took a better look into the window. He could see Daniel picking up comic books from the bed and working on tidying up. Afterwards, Claw jumped into the air and flapped his wings, gaining altitude as he flew away. He was in quite the good mood, so he decided to take a flight around town and enjoy the fresh summer breeze.

For as long as he could remember, Claw always had a soft spot for children. And though he got along quite well with the ones who resided in the Labyrinth, he knew all of the children in the Labyrinth were there with their parents, as Talon and Elisa made sure any orphans and runaways were taken to the police station where they could deal with the situation properly. However, having a child visiting by himself often was an idea Claw enjoyed, and he was looking forward to more visits from Daniel. As he flew around, Claw realized that he had not taken Fang's dinner that night, and he knew he was certainly going to receive quite an earful of colorful insults and curses from the imprisoned mutate when he returned to the Labyrinth, but Claw was not going to let that prospect ruin his good mood. After all, Claw thought, as long as he was stuck inside that cell, Fang could do nothing but scream and throw tantrums. The tiger mutate simply relaxed as he glided along the city, his former bully not being a worry to him.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey".

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 2: Visiting Hours**

**By RemTar85**

Daniel Sykes was bored. The eleven year old boy was in bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to think of something to do. His room was a lot neater than usual, his comic books stashed away in a cardboard box he kept in a corner of his room. Normally he'd entertain himself by reading, but he had not bought any new comics in a couple of weeks now, and had already read all the ones he had several times. Sighing, Daniel got up and looked out his window. It was a bright summer afternoon, and Daniel could not help but feel jealous of his friends from school, all of whom were away on vacation trips with their families.

Daniel moved away from the window and opened his bedroom door. He stepped out and slowly walked towards the living room. He noticed it was quieter than usual, and upon arriving at the living room, he noticed his stepfather was not at home. Knowing this was his stepfather's day off from work, Daniel knew he would probably not return until very late, and possibly drunk. In a way, this lifted Daniel's spirits a little, as this way he could probably get to see whatever he wanted in the house's only television.

"Daniel, come over here for a second," a female voice called out. The boy quickly turned to see his mother, Carmen, stepping out of her room. She was wearing heels, a green dress, and make-up. Her long, black hair combed and looking neater than usual.

"Are you going out, Mom?" Daniel asked, walking towards her.

"Yes, honey," she replied, moving things around in her purse and making sure she had everything. "I managed to save myself a little extra money, so I'll go out with my friends. And tomorrow I'll give you some for your comic books."

"Thanks, Mom. Will you be home late?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, giving herself another check in the mirror in the hall. "I left some food in the fridge, you can heat it up. Remember the rules?"

"Don't open the door to anybody, turn off any lights I'm not using, and be in bed by ten," Daniel said, knowing it by heart.

"Okay. I'll see you later, dear," she said, bending down to give a quick kiss to her son's forehead. She then headed out the door and closed it. Daniel quickly moved over to the door and pressed an ear against it, listening to his mother's heels echoing in the hallway, until everything was silent.

"Looks like boredom's over," Daniel said to himself with a smile. He walked to his bedroom and proceeded to change clothes as quickly as he could. After putting on long denim jeans, a bright blue T-shirt and his sneakers, he tied up a jacket around his waist by the sleeves, for later in the night. It was not often that both his mother and stepfather went out their separate ways and not set to return until late at night, so Daniel knew this was the perfect opportunity to go out.

Daniel made sure that every light in the house was turned off and all the windows closed. After that, he grabbed a spare key to the front door, then walked out of his apartment and locked the door behind him. Putting the keys in a pocket of his jeans, he walked down the stairs and out the building, setting off on foot to a nearby building and on his way to the Labyrinth.

Daniel was glad that now, on his third visit, he had memorized the way there. He had visited the Labyrinth once more only two nights after his first visit, and almost got lost trying to get there. He was lucky he bumped into a homeless lady on the way, and she accompanied him on the way there. Once again, he had spent his second visit hanging out with Claw, whom he had taken quite a liking to, and mostly just learned more about each other. He had also gotten to talk a little more to other residents of the Labyrinth and explored a little more of the place, which was a lot bigger than it seemed at first glance.

Getting to the building he had set off to, Daniel walked into the alley between it and the other building, going all the way to the back until he reached a door at the end. He entered it and walked down some stairs into what was supposed to be a basement storage room for the building above. The place was dark and empty, but Daniel could make out a door, and went through it, into a damp hallway that led to the sewers, and into a different path to the Labyrinth. Daniel was quite grateful to Claw, who had shown him this different way to get into the Labyrinth before flying him home last time, explaining that there were many ways to get to the Labyrinth if you knew were to look. Closing the door behind him, Daniel followed the dim lights and continued on his way.

* * *

"Man, this is such a drag," Fang muttered to himself, lying on his cot and staring at the ceiling of his cell. He was bored out of his mind, but then again, he was almost always bored out of his mind. Living inside a cramped little cell without the usual commodities could do that to a person, and Fang was surprised he had not snapped and gone crazy yet, or at least developed claustrophobia.

Fang sat up and just let his mind drift. The place was too quiet, and though it was good that way when he wanted to sleep, it was just uncomfortable during the time he was awake. There was no television or radio, nothing to read or even some cards to play by himself. There was nobody hanging around that he could insult and take jabs at, something that always managed to cheer him up a bit. Bored as he was and with nothing to do, Fang just began imagining all the things he would do upon finally getting out of his cell, namely the many ways he could make Talon, Claw, Maggie and the clones pay for keeping him locked up like that.

Eventually, though, after a while, even the mental images of him standing triumphantly over a beaten and bruised Talon ended up boring him as well, and with a defeated groan, he lied back down. Fortunately for him, a Labyrinth resident made his way into the cell area, and he instantly saw it as a way to fight boredom. Looking over, Fang was even more relieved to see that it was Tim, a blond-haired man in his early twenties, and one of the few people in the Labyrinth who was in speaking terms with Fang, and perhaps the only one who actually got along with the incarcerated mutate.

"Hey, Timmy, old buddy," Fang called out. "How's it hangin'?"

"Hi, Fang," the young man replied, carrying a mop and dragging a bucket full of water and floor cleaner. "Everything's okay. You holding up well in there?"

"Feeling like a zoo exhibit, as usual, just without the swimming pond," Fang replied, eyeing the mop and bucket and smirking. "Don't tell me Talon's got you in janitor duty now."

"I don't mind a little work, keeps me distracted," Tim said as he began mopping the floor in front of Fang's cell.

"Lucky you," Fang retorted in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, and I'll bring you your dinner tonight," Tim pointed out. "Claw asked me to, since he'll be busy."

"Again?" Fang asked. "That's the third time in a week."

"Well, he's been busy with his new friend," Tim said.

Upon hearing that, Fang's ears perked up and he got up from his bed. He walked up to the clear wall of his cell and pressed his hands on it, staring out with curious eyes at the man standing on the other side.

"Busy with a friend?" Fang asked, clearly amused. "Are you telling me that Claw landed himself a girl? She must be blind, retarded or really kinky to be into that Tony the Tiger wannabe. Oh, I'm gonna get a whole lot of mileage outta this one."

Fang's comment caused Tim to chuckle, and the young man continued on his work and the conversation. "You won't get to, because it's not a girl. It's some little kid who got himself here about a week ago. He's not homeless, but he's taken to visiting now, and Claw's gotten real attached to him. Just arrived here a couple minutes ago and went straight to Claw."

"Oh, okay," Fang said, leaning against the side wall of his cell with arms crossed, apparently disappointed in the less than stellar revelation of Claw's new friend. "So Claw's gone babysitter, huh?"

"Yup," Tim replied, moving further down the hall as he mopped. "I heard Talon's not exactly thrilled about that kid visiting, though. Apparently he's worried that the kid's parents could report him missing and a big problem could go up."

Fang snorted and shook his head, his mouth curved in a smirk that did well in showing his namesake. "Talon's a worrywart in a never-ending bad mood. Kids go missing all the time, one more probably won't make a difference."

"Good point," Tim replied, almost finished with his chore. "It's probably nothing to worry about."

* * *

Elisa Maza came into the Labyrinth, hands in the pockets of her red jacket as she walked along. She smiled at a few residents who greeted her as she made her way through the main area. Soon enough, she spotted her mutated brother coming out of the hall that led to his and Maggie's bedroom, and went to greet him. Talon quickly noticed her, and the siblings smiled as they approached one another.

"Hey, sis," Talon said as he embraced her. "Always nice to see you drop by."

"And always nice to see you, too," she replied, hugging her brother as well. "It's my night off, so I came by to extend an invitation."

"Oh? Where to?"

"Mom, Dad and Beth got together for dinner tonight, and I'm on my way to join them," Elisa explained. "They wanted to know if you, Maggie and Claw wanted to join in."

"Wow," Talon said with a smile on his face, "Sure has been some time since we had a big family dinner. I'm definitely going, and I'm sure Maggie will want to as well. But I doubt Claw will be going."

"Really? That's a shame," she said, "especially since he really loves mom and dad's homemade cooking."

"And who doesn't?" Talon replied with a smile. "Claw's spending time with his little buddy. Check over there."

Elisa's gaze turned to where her brother pointed. Further along the main area of the Labyrinth, Claw was sitting on the floor, with a brown-haired boy sitting across from him. A chess board was on top of a box between mutate and boy, as Claw was pointing out the way that the different pieces of the game moved across the board.

"That's Daniel, the little kid I mentioned on the message I left in your answering machine," Talon explained.

"I see," Elisa said. "And like you said, you're worried that his visits could cause problems, right?"

"Right," Talon answered. "This is the third time he drops by in one week. I don't want to come across as paranoid, but you can never be too sure."

"You were a cop, Derek, you can never be too paranoid," Elisa said with a smile. "You mentioned in your message that he looks healthy and there aren't signs of any physical abuse. But if it makes you feel better, I could always ask Claw for the boy's address and drop by from time to time to check up on him."

Talon smiled and put an arm around Elisa's shoulders. "Thanks, Elisa," he said. "I appreciate it, and I owe you one."

"Let me have the biggest piece of Mom's pie and we call it even," Elisa said with a wink.

Talon's eyes went wide at this statement, but he then smirked at his sister. "Let you have the biggest piece? Of Mom's homemade blueberry pie? I'm sorry, sis, but you'll have to call it even on something else."

"Can't blame me for trying," Elisa said with a chuckle, but then quickly became serious once more. "And by the way, Xanatos asked me to let you know he'll send a new shipment of boxes of bottled water tomorrow to the usual entrance, so you'll be sure to pick it up."

"Oh," Talon muttered with a slight growl, "little earlier than usual, I see. Fine, I'll take Claw and some others to pick them up."

Elisa sighed and patted her brother's shoulders. "I know you hate having to accept Xanatos's help," she said. "I don't like it either, but at least he's providing the people down here with food and water once or twice a week."

"Yes, I know," Talon grumbled. "I'd rather him keep everything and choke on it, but it's best to not look a gift horse in the mouth. As long as it helps the residents here, I can look past my personal feelings towards Xanatos."

"That's good to hear," Elisa said, her smile returning. "How about we go look for Maggie then? We don't want to be late for dinner."

"Sure," Talon said. "But first let's tell Claw where we'll be."

Elisa nodded, and she and her brother made their way towards Claw. The tiger mutate and his young companion had gone from the explanation of how the game was played and into the boy's first real game. They had only just begun before Claw's attention was diverted, noticing Talon and Elisa approaching. Claw smiled and greeted Elisa with a wave, just as the siblings stopped beside them.

Upon arriving, Talon looked down at the boy. "Daniel," he said, "I want you to meet my sister, Elisa Maza."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Daniel said. "Claw told me about you, he said you're a detective. So you get to check crime scenes and catch bad guys often?"

"That's right," Elisa replied.

"That's way cool," Daniel said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Thank you," Elisa said, also smiling. "And I've heard how you and Claw have become good friends. You know, since you don't live down here, I'm sure Claw would appreciate it if you had someone up there to check up on you, just in case. How about you hand me your address, and I give you a number that you can use to reach me if you ever need anything?"

Daniel looked over at Claw after hearing the detective's proposal, and his friend smiled and nodded. "Sure, Ms. Maza," he said.

"Good," Talon said. "You can write down the address, leave it in my room and Elisa will pick it up later. Mom and Dad invited us to dinner at their place, Claw, so the two of us and Maggie will be going. We'll be back later, so keep an eye out for things, okay?"

Claw nodded and gave Talon a thumbs-up. He then picked up his notepad and pencil, and wrote a note for Talon. _"Don't worry about a thing. I got everything covered and most of the people already ate. You guys enjoy your dinner."_

Talon read the note, smiled and nodded. "Right," he said. "We'll be going now. You two enjoy your game."

They each gave their farewells, and the siblings made their way to look for Talon's mate. Claw then looked back down at the chess board, as it was still his move. He picked up a black-colored pawn and moved it a space ahead, then looked over at his young friend. Claw's expression changed into a curious one as Daniel looked a distance away, where Talon and Elisa were talking to Maggie. He then looked back at Claw, noticing his quizzical expression.

"I can see who got the good looks in the family," Daniel said with a chuckle.

Claw rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he also smiled. His expression changed to a playful frown, as he reached to the boy's head with a large hand and messed up his hair. Claw then pointed at the chess set and at Daniel, indicating that it was Daniel's turn to move.

"Okay, okay, I'm playing," Daniel said, chuckling once more and returning to the game.

* * *

The chess game lasted less than fifteen minutes, and it was most obvious to Daniel that Claw had let him win on purpose. Daniel didn't mind that, however, as he was glad that Claw had taken the time to teach him how to play the game. As they put away the chess set, Daniel pondered on what to do next, as he knew he still had at least a couple of hours before either his mother or stepfather would return home.

"How about we go out?" Daniel asked. "Maybe I can go into a store and buy us some snacks?"

Claw perked his ears upon hearing this. He looked down at the boy with a sympathetic expression, then rubbed his index and middle finger against his thumb, shook his head, and shrugged. Daniel looked disappointed as he quickly understood the meaning.

"Oh, right, I forgot," he said. "No money."

Claw knelt down and patted the boy's shoulders, then took his notepad and in it wrote and handed a note to the boy, who read it quickly. _"How about we check the kitchen then? There should be some snacks lying around. We can go get some for ourselves another night."_

"Sounds good," Daniel said, putting the note in a pocket of his pants.

Claw smiled and motioned for Daniel to follow. They had almost reached the kitchen area when, among the crowd of Labyrinth dwellers, an old man emerged, heading quickly towards Claw. Both mutate and child noticed him, and Daniel recognized him as a man named Al, whom Claw had explained was one of the first people who came to populate the Labyrinth, and was highly trusted by the mutates.

"Here you are, Claw," Al said, sounding a little out of breath. "We got a bit of a problem. Malibu and Hollywood, they went wandering off again without anyone watching over them. Thought I'd come get you so we can round them up before they get in big trouble."

Claw nodded at this, looking rather frustrated. He got along well with the clones, but they could be difficult at times. Claw was about to go, but then looked down at Daniel, took his notepad and quickly wrote down. _"Sorry about this, Daniel. You want to come along, or would you rather stay?"_

"No, thanks, Claw," Daniel said. "You go ahead, I'd only slow you down. I'll be fine here, and I think you can catch them in time to return and fly me home. Right?"

Claw smiled and nodded at his young friend, then quickly rushed off after Al, who was already waiting for Claw by the door. Daniel saw the tiger mutate disappear out the large door, then he sighed softly and looked around, wondering what he could do to distract himself while Claw returned. Normally he would have accompanied Claw, but decided against it upon hearing that he was going in search of Malibu and Hollywood. Having met the clones during his second visit to the Labyrinth, Daniel found them rather creepy, seeing in them a more menacing appearance than the mutates, and their strange demeanor did nothing to ease him up, not even after Claw had thoroughly explained why the clones behaved the way they did.

Daniel decided to walk around the Labyrinth, hoping that there could be more areas in it that Claw had yet to show him. Daniel found the Labyrinth to be one of the most interesting places he had ever seen, literally an underground tenement with no charging of rent. He had seen lavatories, places where people slept, storage rooms, and the kitchen. Yet, Claw had explained to him that before they inhabited it, the Labyrinth had actually been some sort of research facility, and Daniel wondered what else could be around. He decided to go to the kitchen and have those snacks ready by the time Claw returned. He made his way back to the kitchen area, but stopped when he saw a man he had not met yet step out with a tray of food and a drink. Daniel's gaze followed the blond-haired man for a moment as he was about to go into the kitchen, but then he stopped as he noticed the man turn into a corridor where Daniel had never been into.

The boy remembered on his second visit how he had asked Claw if he could go see what was in there, but Claw had refused. He had asked Claw why he wanted to keep that corridor off-limits to him, and the mutate's explanation had been quite simple, in that there were cells down that corridor where they kept someone as an inmate. Claw had not given Daniel any further details, and Daniel decided to not pursue it. However, watching the man with the tray of food, he knew it was that inmate's dinner, and Daniel's curiosity quickly got the better of him. Looking back to make sure that nobody watched him, he walked away from the kitchen and into the corridor that led to the cells.

A moment after he had gone there, he turned a corner and noticed a row of cells down a hallway, much like a common jail. The blonde man was closing a door, which Daniel was intrigued to see was perfectly transparent. The door closed with a firm sound that indicated it had locked properly, and the man smiled.

"I managed to sneak you in a cold soda tonight," the blonde man said.

"Thanks, Tim," a voice came from inside the cell. "It's a lot better than water all the time."

"Sorry for not getting anything better to eat," Tim said.

"Ah, forget it," the cell's occupant replied. "I've never met anybody who could do anything to make leftover meatloaf taste halfway decent, anyway."

"Okay. I'll see you another time, then," Tim said, walking away. Daniel was quick to pull back, crouch and press himself against the wall. It was one of the times he was thankful for being small for his age, as the man turned the corner and walked by without noticing the boy.

Finding himself in the clear, Daniel stood up and turned into the hallway with the cells. He walked slowly along until he reached the cell with transparent walls, at the farthest end of the hall. He was intrigued as he watched the cell's occupant eating his meal with his hands, and recognized him immediately as a mutate, just like Claw, Talon and Maggie. This mutate had brown fur with a little extra fluff on what seemed to be his sideburns, and he wore a sleeveless white t-shirt, blue shorts and black wrist pads. Daniel's curiosity grew, as Claw had mentioned a fourth mutate to him, but never went into any details about him. Though he knew he shouldn't, the boy wanted to find out more about him, and he neared the transparent cell wall.

"Excuse me, sir?" he called out, knocking on the wall a couple of times, like he would a normal door.

The mutate in the cell did not look up at him after that call. Daniel heard the mutate sigh in a rather exasperated way, and saw as the feline humanoid put down his dish. Taking the can of soda, he took a quick gulp and set the can back down, as well as his plate of food. A frown was easily noticeable on his feline face.

"I thought I've told you kids before," he said, wiping his hands clean with a small kitchen towel he had on the cot he was sitting, "this isn't a zoo, and I'm sick and tired of…"

The mutate stopped speaking suddenly, a moment after he had looked up and taken a clear look at the boy who called out to him. The expression on the brown-furred mutate's face was one of confusion as he slowly stood up, and Daniel was confused as well, wondering why this imprisoned mutate was looking at him so strangely. Suddenly, the mutate's yellow eyes opened wider and he quickly walked to the transparent wall. Daniel was startled by the sudden move and backed up a couple of steps, watching as the mutate knelt down and continued staring.

"Daniel? Is that you?" the mutate asked, his expression changing, a smile forming.

"Uh… yeah," he said, a little hesitant to reply to the unknown mutate. "Did Claw tell you my name?"

"You gotta be kidding me," the mutate said, chuckling now. "It actually is you, Danny Boy."

Daniel found himself surprised now, looking at the now excited mutated with confusion. "Excuse me?" he said. "Nobody ever calls me Danny Boy. My uncle was the only one who ever got away with calling me that."

"And what do you think I am, chopped liver?" the mutate said with a big grin. "It's me, kiddo! Uncle Freddy!"

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2. Buy the comics, people!

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 3: Catching Up**

**By RemTar85**

Fang put both hands on his head and laughed heartily, whereas the boy in front of him now looked stunned. It was then than Fang realized he had just delivered quite the bit of news to the poor kid. He stopped laughing, but could not stop smiling even though the boy's expression had not changed.

"Did you just say you're my uncle?" Daniel asked in a small voice. "But you can't be. My uncle's been missing for about two years now."

"About the same time me and the others got turned into winged cats that shoot electricity," Fang stated. "I assume one of the others told you what happened to us four flying freaks."

"Claw did. But you can't be my uncle. Claw, Talon or Maggie could've just told you about me, I bet that's how you know my name and my uncle's," Daniel said.

Fang shook his head. He got off his knees and sat on the floor, legs crossed, hands on his knees, leaning forward a bit. The mutate looked at the boy with a big grin, looking quite amused. Daniel felt even more uneasy at noticing this grin, and took a couple of steps back.

"I did just drop a bombshell on you," Fang said, "so I understand you being skeptical right now. Look, kiddo, I know I don't look the part, and maybe my voice's changed a bit, too. But I can definitely prove that I'm your uncle."

"You can? How?"

"My name is Fred Sykes, my older brother's name is David Sykes, and years ago he married Carmen Vazquez and together they had a son that they named Daniel, and that's you. My bastard, bum of a brother walked out on his family when you were only six years old, we never heard from him since, and from that day on I helped out the best I could. And if you need a little bit more to believe me, do I need to remind you of that time I took you to Coney Island on your birthday, when you turned seven? We went on rides, ate hot dogs and cotton candy, and then you got really bummed out when we were told you were too short to ride the roller coaster, and I made it up by buying you about forty bucks worth of comic books to get you to smile again."

Daniel remained silent all throughout the mutate's explanation. Once Fang had finished, Daniel moved quickly to the transparent wall, pressing his hands on it as he looked at the mutate. Fang, who had been studying the boy's reaction expectantly, grinned once more.

"Oh, my God," Daniel said. "It really is you, Uncle Freddy!"

"You bet I am, Danny Boy!" Fang exclaimed.

"I can't believe it's you!" Daniel said, amazement in his voice. "Mom and I were thinking the worst, and you've been here all this time!"

"I know, I know," Fang said. "And trust me, Danny, I really wanted to visit you, but… well, just look at me! You know how your mom can be at times. One look at me and she would've freaked out, no matter what I said."

"I guess you're right," Daniel said. "But still, how in the world did this happen to you, Uncle? Claw told me how he, Maggie and Talon got turned to mutates, but he never talked to me about you. How did this end up happening to you?"

Fang sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Long story short, I was a little desperate for a job way back then, after they fired me from that warehouse when a bit of trouble came up. Dropped by a diner to beg for a job but didn't get it, and this scientist guy who was there having lunch saw how desperate I was for a job and offered me one. He said he paid real well if I helped with some experiments…"

"But he never said you were the experiment, right?" Daniel finished for Fang.

"Got that right," Fang replied while nodding. "I got to the place, asked what I was supposed to do. Next thing I know, I get some dart with some weird liquid shot in my arm. Then I got stuffed in some cell, where I start going from human to a flying, electric cat guy."

"Gosh. I'm sorry that had to happen to you, Uncle Fred," Daniel said, looking at his uncle sympathetically.

"Hey, don't worry, buddy," Fang said with a smile. "Sure, the transformation hurt like hell, but this body's not half bad."

"But you'll never look like your old self again."

Fang chuckled, shaking his head. "Compared to what I was like before? I was a skinny, wimpy, worthless nobody who always got pushed around. Now I'm big, strong, can shoot electricity, and I can fly. I tell you, kiddo, not being able to walk out in public anymore because of how I look, that's definitely worth it for the thrill I get when I fly."

"Okay," Daniel said, looking rather awkward. "I guess it's going to take a little getting used to seeing you looking like that."

Fang chuckled again, shrugging a bit and motioning for his nephew to sit down as well. Daniel did so, and looked down the corridor, wanting to make sure nobody was coming, as he remembered he wasn't supposed to be there. Fang looked over as well, and after neither seeing nor hearing anybody, he turned back to Daniel.

"Now, Danny, I just gotta ask," Fang said, looking serious now, "how in the world did you end up down here?"

"I figured you were going to ask that," Daniel said, looking a little awkward again. "Things at home haven't been the best since you disappeared, Uncle Fred."

"I was afraid of that," Fang muttered. He had a feeling he was not going to like Daniel's explanation.

* * *

Claw panted, running as fast as he could down a corridor. Having to keep the clones in check was not always an easy task, but he didn't expect two of them to wander off right as Derek and Maggie had gone out. After he and Al had gathered a small group of Labyrinth inhabitants to help look for Malibu and Hollywood, they had gone their separate ways and agreed to meet up at a certain time in a certain place and see if they came up with anything.

Slowing down a little to catch his breath, Claw came up on an intersection. The path split two ways, and both ways, he knew, eventually led to exits to the surface. Even though he, Talon and Maggie were teaching them new things, among them independence, Claw knew that the clones were still quite naïve about things in general, some more than others. Hollywood, he knew, was perhaps the most naïve of the lot, while Malibu was one of the more curious ones. It figured those two would be the ones most likely to wander off.

Undecided on which of the two paths to take, the tiger mutate was growing increasingly frustrated. Claw did not want to think what would happen should any of the clones be discovered and captured by people. The Quarrymen were suddenly very present in his mind, and just thinking what they could do to the clones terrified Claw. The clones being a responsibility for him, he would do his best to make sure they wouldn't get hurt.

Still undecided on which way to go, the tiger mutate closed his eyes. He took deep breaths, relaxing as much as he possibly could. He then began sniffing, and all sorts of strong smells invaded his senses. He was almost overwhelmed by it, but time and practice had taught him how to quickly control it. Concentrating solely on his enhanced sense of smell, he started to set the scents apart, looking specifically for Malibu's and Hollywood's scents. It didn't take long before he managed to find the specific scents of the clones, and opening his eyes, he took to the left corridor, running quickly once more. Much as he disliked his mutated state, Claw had to admit that being a mutate sometimes had its advantages.

* * *

Fang had stood up, now leaning against the transparent wall that kept him confined. He was growling in a low tone, and the fur on the back of his neck was standing straight. Daniel shuddered at how scary his mutated uncle looked. He noticed the changes on Fang's demeanor as he had been telling him on the situation back home.

"Those two leave you home alone, and going hungry?" Fang asked, suppressing his growling as best as he could.

"It's not like I starve, Uncle," Daniel said, a little nervously. "I just sneak out, ask people for money and eat at a diner."

"At night, Daniel!" Fang said. "You're by yourself out there, during the night! Anything could happen to you, and thank goodness it hasn't!"

"Yeah," Daniel said with his head down. "But it's not that way anymore. Now I come by during the day, I get to eat, and Claw flies me home at night. That way I don't get in trouble and I don't have to be out at night by myself. And at least mom and her husband don't hit me or anything like that."

Fang sighed softly. He was no harmless saint, and he would admit it without a care in the world, but he did care for his only nephew's well being. After hearing Daniel tell him how he doesn't wander the streets at night anymore, and that he wasn't physically abused, Fang took a deep breath and tried calming down. The mutate had also noticed the effect his anger was having on his nephew, and he didn't want to scare Daniel off after having just seen him again after two years.

"That's nice, Danny," Fang said calmly, sitting down again. "I don't want anything bad happening to you. And I'm just really thrilled to see you again. You don't know how rare it is seeing a friendly face around here."

Daniel was about to say something, but then stopped. He looked rather confused, as he stood up slowly.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Fang asked.

"I was so surprised about finding you and about your being a mutate now that I didn't even notice it sooner. Why are you locked up in that cell?"

Fang realized now that he had also forgotten about that specific fact. His mind went blank momentarily, looking awkwardly down at his nephew while he tried his best to come up with an answer. Try as he might, however, Fang could not think up of any excuse good enough to give to his nephew, so he sighed and lowered his head, hiding his face in his hands.

"Come on, Uncle Fred, just answer me," Daniel said, looking surprisingly stern for a child. "I know you come up with some crazy things sometimes, so just tell me what you did to warrant locking you up."

Fang sighed again, looking back up. He thought it would have been amusing how things quickly went from good to bad at the drop of a hat, but the amusement just wasn't there when he was on the receiving end. He figured that it was just best to come out with the truth, and he began explaining. "Well, about a year ago, not long after we all first moved here to the Labyrinth, Claw and me and two other guys found some weapons in a room, and we tried taking over the Labyrinth."

Daniel was silent for a moment, looking surprised, but quickly spoke up. "Tried taking over the Labyrinth? By using weapons? Did the mutation make you insane?"

"I guess," Fang said, looking embarrassed. "It's just that the whole change from human to freak and not being able to see you and everything just happening at once, I guess it got to me and the power went to my head. I didn't feel comfortable where I was, so I thought being in charge could help out, and I went at it the worst way possible. I was a complete moron."

"Moron's an understatement, Uncle!" Daniel said in a loud voice. "That's not even being a bully, that's just really stepping over the line! It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I know," Fang said, not finding it the least bit amusing that his eleven year old nephew was admonishing him. "And I'm sorry, Daniel. I've been sorry about it ever since I just sat down and thought about the whole thing after it happened. Believe me, when you're locked up and never get a chance to get out except to shower while supervised, you get a lot of time to just sit and think."

After hearing this, Daniel began calming down. He turned his back to his uncle and sighed, leaning back against the wall. It was easy to tell how disappointed Daniel was with his uncle. He turned back towards the mutate and sat down again, looking calmer, but still in a visibly sore mood. "Uncle Fred, you said Claw was helping you in trying to take over the Labyrinth?"

"Yeah, he was," Fang replied.

"So how come you're locked up and he's not?"

"Because at the last minute, he switched sides," Fang said. "We were right there, in the middle of it, and I got taken out. When I asked Claw for help, he turned his back on me, and the other two guys who were with us got banned from the Labyrinth. Guess everybody just liked Claw enough to give him a second chance right from the get-go. Me, I was the smartass of the group. That ought to be enough to throw me in the slammer."

"He never told me anything about that," Daniel said, sounding disappointed once more. "So Claw was never punished? And they never gave you a chance to make up for the bad things you did?"

"Not a one," Fang replied. "I've asked for a second chance every once in a while, but Talon's in charge, and he just won't even give me a chance to prove I've changed. Me and Talon, we've never really gotten along, at all."

"I know what you mean," Daniel said. "I don't really like him much either. He's way too uptight."

"And you still only just met him," Fang said, smiling a little now. "He's so stiff that I'm surprised he's got elbows and knees that actually work."

Daniel could not help but smile as well. "And that nasty habit of talking so close to someone after having eaten garlic. When I saw him the first time and he started talking to me, I thought I'd faint either from fright or by his breath."

Fang laughed after hearing that. Not only was he glad that the mood had lightened up considerably between him and Daniel, but knowing that Daniel shared his opinions of Talon with him was quite a good point for Fang's mood. "Gosh, kid, you're something else."

"Thanks, Uncle Freddy," Daniel said, now also in a much better mood.

"So," Fang said, looking hopeful, "does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Well," Daniel replied, "I still think that was really dumb of you, trying to take over the Labyrinth by force, especially after you've told me how you've always hated bullies. But of course I'm going to give you a chance to show you wouldn't do things like that again. Even if you do some crazy things sometimes, I know that you're a nice guy. Besides, you're still my favorite uncle."

"I'm your only uncle, smart guy," Fang said with a chuckle. "But… I gotta ask you a favor, Danny. I know it's gonna sound rather bad, but you're the only person I can count on."

"Okay," Daniel said, looking both curious and slightly apprehensive. "What is it?"

* * *

Claw could smell both Malibu and Hollywood quite clearly now. Even with his sense of smell alone, he could tell that both clones were currently together, and very close by. As he followed the scent, Claw was quite surprised at how well his sense of smell was guiding him, considering he very seldom used it like he was now. He disliked it, in a way, since he never liked his mutated state and wished above anything else to be a normal human again. Still, he went along for the ride, thinking that if someday someone found a cure, he might as well do as much good as he could while that happened.

A sudden noise made Claw stop. He stood still, silent, eyes closed as he now used his ears. Seconds later, he opened his eyes and ran down a different corridor. Moments later, he breathed a sigh of relief as he found both clones. He shook his head upon noticing that Hollywood was stuck in a door a little too small for him. The large gargoyle clone groaned in frustration as Malibu tugged on his tail, attempting to free him, to no avail.

"Claw!" Malibu said, noticing the mutate. "Can Claw help? Hollywood stuck."

"Gentle, please. Tail tugs hurt," Hollywood added.

Claw rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He stepped up beside Malibu and held up three fingers in front of him. The clone nodded, understanding quickly enough without the need for explanations. Claw lowered one finger, then the second, and upon lowering the third, he grabbed Hollywood's tail, and now both mutate and clone tugged firmly on the Hollywood's tail. The large clone cried out loud, but the tugging was strong enough to free him. The three fell on a heap on the floor, with Hollywood on top of the others.

"Hollywood too heavy!" Malibu cried out breathlessly. "Get off!"

Hollywood did so, grunting a little as he got up. Claw and Malibu quickly got up as well, with Malibu stretching his back. He looked at Hollywood with a frown and swung his tail at Hollywood, smacking him in the back. The larger clone turned, growling, and also smacked Malibu with his tail. Malibu was about to retaliate, but both clones became quiet upon noticing Claw, looking very stern with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The clones looked embarrassed and stared down at their feet.

"We sorry, Claw," Hollywood said. "We wanted to go glide tonight."

"We bored," Malibu added.

Claw rolled his eyes, but ended up smiling nonetheless. Clones or not, they were still gargoyles, and greatly enjoyed gliding around town. Claw could not blame them for wanting to, considering all the time they spent cooped up in the Labyrinth, only ever going out to glide when one or more of the mutates could accompany them. Claw motioned for the clones to follow, and all three started making their way to where Claw was to meet the other Labyrinth residents who were helping him search.

* * *

"You want me to help you escape?" Daniel asked in a surprised tone.

"I told you it would sound bad," Fang said. "But yeah, that's what I'm asking."

"But that would get us both in big trouble," Daniel said. "And you're already in enough trouble down here as it is."

Fang knelt down as close to the cell wall as he could, and after looking at the hall's entrance once more to make sure nobody was nearby, he continued speaking in a low voice. "I know it's probably not the best idea, Danny, but I don't know what else to do. Look at me, I got an animal in me, and that animal's pissed off at being locked up in here for so long. I need to get out. But Talon told me that he's not even sure when he'd ever let me out. Knowing him, my whole fur would probably turn grey before I could ever get out again."

Daniel let that sink in, and sighed. He was thinking hard, wondering what to do. His mind went through everything that his uncle had told him. His thoughts especially lingered on Claw, though. Daniel and Claw had become good friends in only three visits to the Labyrinth, and the boy could not help but be disappointed when he learned from his uncle that Claw had helped in trying to take over the Labyrinth, and understood then why Claw had refused to talk to him about the person who was in the Labyrinth's holding cells.

"Well," Daniel said, "Claw's my friend, and he basically lied to me when he didn't tell me about you, which means he lied to me by not telling me about the bad things he did. But he's still my friend, and I'd like to give him a second chance. And if I give him another chance, then I'll definitely give you another chance, too."

"So that means you'll help me?" Fang asked eagerly.

"Of course, Uncle Fred," Daniel said, nodding. "As long as you promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"I promise, Danny Boy," Fang said, smiling. "You're really the one person I can count on."

"Thanks, Uncle," Daniel said, smiling as well. "So, tell me, what do I have to do?"

"Well, I'd definitely like nothing better than to run out of here right now, but that wouldn't be smart. So I need you to bring me something the next time you come by here."

"What is it?" Daniel asked.

"Something to cover myself up with," Fang replied, "so I can sneak by without people noticing it's me. Maybe a big blanket, a trench coat, or a tarp, or something like that. Next time you come by here, make sure nobody's watching, open my cell door by pressing the button on the wall, slip it to me and walk away."

"Okay, got it," Daniel said with a nod.

"But, there's still some more things, Danny," Fang continued. "I need your address, cause I want to visit you after I slip out of here. See, I don't want to get you in trouble down here, for helping me escape. There's no guarantee that the plan's gonna work. That's why I want you to do this quietly. When you go out there, you have to pretend you never came by here tonight and that you still don't know anything about me. And next time, right after you open my door and walk away, tell Claw that you don't feel so well and that you'd like him to take you home."

"Okay," Daniel said. "So that means that, no matter what happens, they won't know it was me who helped you, right?"

"Right," Fang nodded, smiling at the boy. "You're my nephew, kiddo. What kind of uncle would I be if I let you get in trouble, especially because of me?"

"You're still the best, Uncle," Daniel said. "So, we have a plan then. I better go now so Claw can take me home."

"Right," Fang said. "You take care now. But there is one last thing, Danny Boy."

"Yes?"

"Just in case, call me Fang," Fang said with a smirk, winking at his nephew.

Daniel smiled and nodded. "Got it, Uncle Fang. I'll get you out of there soon."

Fang chuckled and shook his head, watching his nephew walk away. He had a big smile on his face even as Daniel turned the corridor and was out of sight. After waiting enough for his nephew to be out of listening distance, Fang began to laugh. He walked towards his cot and sat down, picking up the remainder of his dinner. The meatloaf was now cold and the soda warm, but this time, Fang didn't complain at all.

"Looks like I finally got my ticket out of here!" Fang said to himself.

* * *

Claw smiled and nodded at Al and the other Labyrinth dwellers as soon as they reached the Labyrinth's main area. Not a single one of them had complained about having to suddenly go searching around for two of the clones, and Claw was glad that the people here had grown so tightly knit that they'd help each other out in anything.

"I'll take these two, Claw," Al said, motioning for Malibu and Hollywood to follow. "Come on, you two. Let's see if we can wrestle that remote away from the others."

"Okay!" both clones said at the same time, and quickly followed Al.

Claw took a deep breath of relief, glad that that situation was taken care of. He stretched himself, wrapped his wings around his shoulders like a cloak, and set off to look for Daniel, remembering he had to take the boy home. He spotted Daniel soon enough, near the kitchen area. His back was turned to the entrance, and he looked back a few times, as if wanting to make sure he was not being watched. Claw took his notepad and pen, and wrote quickly on it. He then walked towards Daniel, and as the boy closed a cabinet, Claw held the notepad in front of Daniel's face from above, making Daniel jump a little in surprise.

"_Still looking for snacks, are you? Don't worry, you don't have to be sneaky looking for them, feel free to take any snack you find," _Claw had written.

Daniel sighed and turned around, smiling up at Claw. "You scared me! Give a guy a warning next time."

Claw returned the smile, and wrote more on his notepad, showing it to Daniel. _"It's about time to take you home. I need to do one last thing, but it will be quick. Can you wait for me in the entrance?"_

"Sure, Claw," Daniel said. "I'll be right over."

Claw nodded and walked away. Daniel waited a few seconds, and then turned to the cabinet he had just closed. After making sure nobody was nearby, he dug around amidst the few pots and pans, and a second later he pulled out a fairly large, blue colored blanket he had found on a pile in a small storage room on the second level of the Labyrinth. He had spent a couple of minutes searching for the largest blanket he could find, and was fairly sure this one would do.

"Not a good place to hide, then," Daniel muttered to himself. "Kitchen, definitely not good."

Daniel moved out of the kitchen, holding the blanket and trying to look casual, not wanting to attract the slightest attention. He sighed, knowing the kitchen area was closest to the holding cells, but finding it impossible to keep the blanket hidden there without someone finding it before his next visit to the Labyrinth. He knew he'd need a little skill and a lot of luck to be able to sneak into the holding cells with a blanket without Claw, Talon or Maggie noticing him.

"Looks like it's going to take more luck than anything else now," he said to himself. Looking around a little more, he had noticed another door, not far from the kitchen area. His eyes lit up, remembering that that door led to a laundry area, a place he had quickly dismissed after Claw first showed it to him. He figured it would be the perfect place to keep a blanket, and quickly set off to it, hoping that whatever Claw was doing, it would take at least more than a minute.

* * *

After leaving Daniel in the kitchen, Claw made his way to where the clones where watching television. He only hoped that Al had managed to somehow find a way to keep Malibu and Hollywood from wandering off again in hopes of being entertained. To his relief, he found all four male clones had found a television show they all liked to watch, whereas Delilah was sitting calmly on a nearby armchair, reading a book.

Smiling, Claw walked away, moving towards the holding cells. He had agreed with the young, blonde man named Tim that it would be Tim the one to take Fang his dinner tonight. Claw never really liked how Tim got along well with Fang, and neither did Talon and Maggie, he knew. He was relieved, however, when Tim had made it perfectly clear that while he got along well with Fang, he'd never help him in any escape plans, confessing to the other mutates that Fang had asked him to do so. And, though Claw had decided to omit this detail, he always enjoyed an occasional opportunity to not have to take Fang his meals, even though he had chosen this responsibility himself.

Claw found Fang lying in his bed, eyes closed, and a relaxed smile on his face. He also could hear the cougar mutate humming to himself. Claw dismissed this, pushed the button on the wall nearby, and then pulled the transparent door open. Bending down, he took the tray on the floor, noticing the empty can of soda along with the empty plate. Claw smirked at this, shaking his head a little and rolling his yellow eyes. Tim always did try to slip Fang things that they didn't tend to serve him.

Having heard the door open, Fang opened his eyes and looked over, then smiled. "Good evening, Claw. How's everything?"

Claw ignored Fang, knowing that if he replied, Fang would quite probably go into one of his endless rants, or throw in a few insults at him, or both. Claw closed the door, then started to walk away, but stopped as Fang just shrugged, closed his eyes again and slipped right back into humming to himself. Raising an eyebrow, Claw looked at Fang with a mixture of confusion and suspicion. Fang was never this calm, this relaxed, and he never missed an opportunity to insult Claw.

Claw's curiosity got the better of him, and knowing he'd possibly regret it, he set the tray on the floor. Taking his notepad, he wrote on it, then pressed it on the transparent wall and knocked on it. Opening his eyes, Fang took a look over, his sharp eyesight seeing the writing quite clearly.

"_I don't remember the last time I ever saw you so calm, Fang. Are you up to anything?"_

"Nothing at all, Claw," Fang said, still smiling, and sat up on his cot. "Talon says I could probably go out again if I behave. I figure I should go for the one chance I have to be free again, right?"

Claw sighed, not trusting Fang at all, but decided not to pursue the situation any further. He once more wrote on his notepad and showed Fang. _"I really hope you finally realized that that's your best bet to get out. I really hope you actually put some effort on it."_

"You bet I will, buddy," Fang said, as Claw picked up the tray again. "Ever noticed how life can be a lot like a soap opera sometimes? You just never know what plot twist comes in all of a sudden. Sometimes those plot twists turn out to be the really good ones."

Claw looked at Fang, now more confused than suspicious. He wondered exactly what Fang meant, as the brown-furred mutate went back to lying down. Claw shook his head and started walking away. He had to take Daniel home, and had no time to be worrying about any weird games Fang might be playing. As soon as he was out of sight, Fang smirked and chuckled to himself.

"Plot twists like the sudden appearance of a long lost family member," Fang said to himself. "And thanks to my little lost family member, I'll be outta here before you guys even know what hit you."

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 4: Plan in Motion**

**By RemTar85**

Sometimes people can find it very frustrating how slowly time seems to pass by when one has something to look forward to. That's how Fang had been feeling ever since the night he had seen his nephew again after so long and an escape plan came to his head. Despite the fact that it had been only five nights since that happened, the cougar mutate had spent most of his time pacing in his cell ever since. Even at the moment, he was walking back and forth as best as he could in the confined space, grumbling under his breath

Fang had figured that after being locked up for so long, he could be able to patiently wait a little more, until Daniel could come to carry out the escape plan. The idea of being free again, however, had made Fang become impatient and expectant, and his eyes were always glued to the entrance down the hall, in the hopes of seeing the short, brown-haired boy coming. Fang's ears suddenly perked at the sound of footsteps, and he quickly gazed again at the entrance. He was let down yet again, though, as he saw that it was Talon who was coming by.

Talon walked along the corridor, carrying a set of shackles in his hands. Stopping in front of Fang's cell, he pressed the button that unlocked the door and looked over at the cougar mutate. "Bath time, Fang. You know what to do."

Fang frowned, but stayed silent. He was indeed used to this routine, having done it at the very least twice a week since his imprisonment began. He turned around and put his hands behind him, head hanging low and eyes closed. With that position assumed, Talon entered the cell, and made quick work on cuffing Fang's ankles and wrists. The chains were quite heavy duty, and they kept Fang in check, as Talon put a hand on his shoulder and guided him out.

Fang took a deep breath the second he stepped out of the cell. The one thing he enjoyed most about bath time was the chance to get some fresh air and stretch his wings, even if it meant having to shamble along the corridors, all shackled up like a convict in death row. After exiting the hall, Fang saw the usual extra guards for him, this time being Delilah and Burbank. It was common routine to keep Fang shackled until he was in the showers, and have at least three of either the other mutates and the clones to keep an eye on him in case he tried escaping after they undid the shackles so he could shower. He had tried it once, with no success, but Talon felt he could never be too careful.

"Fang is very quiet lately," Delilah pointed out as all four made their way to the shower area, noticing it was strange how the ever talkative mutate had remained silent so far.

"She's right, Fang," Talon said. "In fact, you've been awfully quiet for a few days now."

"Not much to talk about," Fang said with a shrug, and remained quiet afterwards.

"Well, you won't hear me complain," Talon said, actually meaning it. Deep down, though, he was a little suspicious of Fang's recent change of behavior.

They reached the showers fairly quickly, and Talon removed the shackles from Fang, who quickly entered the shower area, which looked much like a gym's, with several shower stalls. After entering, Fang undressed, taking a couple of minutes to maneuver his wings out of the holes on the back of his sleeveless shirt without ripping it up. Walking to the farthest of the many shower stalls, Fang smirked as he took a quick glimpse of Talon, Delilah and Burbank standing guard by the door. Though his mood lately was a little sour due to his impatience, Fang at least enjoyed seeing Talon and the others looking puzzled and apprehensive of his being so quiet lately. He knew it made the others suspicious, but he hoped it would not be enough suspicion to stop his escape plan. Shaking his head, Fang decided to forget the subject for the moment, and he began showering, knowing it would take quite a while afterwards to properly dry and untangle all his fur. That was the one part of being a mutate that he disliked.

* * *

Daniel paced impatiently in his bedroom, not finding anything to keep himself busy with lately. Though he had a knack to find ways of keeping himself busy and entertained, it was rather more difficult lately, after having run into his uncle after so long, and especially after finding out all that had happened to him while he was away. Daniel's mind kept wandering back to the escape plan his uncle had begged him to help out with. He had tried to keep his mind off of the plan, having accompanied his mother to do groceries, having bought new comic books, and doing more house chores than usual, but ultimately, his mind just went back to the escape subject.

Sitting on his bed, Daniel pondered once more if he was doing the right thing, and though it had not been the first time those thoughts had come across, he quickly pushed them aside. His uncle had been imprisoned for a reason, and if he got caught helping him escape, Daniel knew both he and his uncle would be in big trouble. On the other hand, his uncle promised that nothing would happen to him, and he didn't want to leave his uncle rotting inside a cell with no actual prospect of getting out. Daniel had already decided he'd help his uncle out and was not going to change his mind.

"Daniel, come here for a second," Daniel's mom called.

The boy instantly perked up, hoping that this could be a chance to sneak out if his mother planned on going out. Quickly leaving his room, Daniel saw that his hopes were right on the mark, as he saw his mother applying lipstick in front of the bathroom mirror, a vivid red color now coating her lips. She was well dressed and her dark hair was shiny and neatly combed. Her purse was right beside her, and she tossed the lipstick in it once she was finished.

"I'm going out for a little while. Martha's sister is in town visiting and we're going to go meet her," Carmen told her son.

"Okay, Mom," Daniel said with a nod. "Will you be home late?"

"Not really," she replied, walking to the door. "It'll only be a little reunion, chat up a bit. I'll be back around nine or so. Your stepfather's working the late shift tonight, and I'll have dinner over there. I'll bring you something."

"No problem, Mom," Daniel said, though he was thinking that he knew he'd be hungry much earlier than when his mother would come home.

"Good. You behave, okay? And follow the rules," Carmen said, then quickly left, closing the apartment door behind her.

Once he heard his mother's footsteps fade, Daniel ran into his bedroom and opened a dresser drawer. Searching underneath a bunch of balled up socks, he took a paper, in which he had written the address of the building he lived in, his apartment number, and even detailed things, like the window of his bedroom that led out into the emergency staircase, and even the location of the little drug store in the corner. He wanted to make extra sure his uncle would not have trouble finding the place.

Gazing at his small, bedside clock, Daniel saw that it was a little after six-thirty. Knowing it would take at least fifteen to twenty minutes to arrive to the Labyrinth if he left now and ran part of the way, and that he still had to make a trip back home, he knew he'd have at least two hours to execute the plan and be back home. Perhaps much less, since he had to find a gap of time in which to sneak away unnoticed for a few moments. Putting the paper with the address into his pocket, Daniel exited the apartment after taking a pair of extra keys, and after locking it, he ran off, hoping things would turn out okay.

* * *

Having led Fang back to his cell after he had his fur mostly dried up after his shower, Talon dismissed Delilah and Burbank, who went off to find their fellow clones. Fang had not uttered a single word after answering Delilah's question before his shower, and he settled into his cell quietly. Walking away, Talon still wondered why Fang had decided to remain so calm and quiet lately, and though he thought it was strange, he found that the more he thought about it, the more appealing he found the situation. He was quite enjoying not having to hear the imprisoned mutate's constant shouts and insults.

Heading towards the large kitchen area, Talon found a good number of Labyrinth dwellers cooking dinner, Maggie included among them. New boxes of food had arrived from Xanatos just that morning, and it was during these days that more versatile meals could be prepared. It certainly seemed like the kitchen of a busy restaurant, with the numerous people preparing different things at a time. Talon grinned as he smelled the various tasty scents emanating from the many pots and pans.

Walking up behind his mate, Talon put his arms around Maggie from behind and kissed one of her cheeks. "That smells great, darling."

"Thanks, Derek," Maggie replied with a smile. "We're making a little bit of everything tonight."

"Just like a good old restaurant," Derek said, putting his hand over Maggie's so he could join along in stirring a sauce. "I'm in the mood for a big, juicy steak."

"Then a big, juicy steak you'll get, dear."

"I love it when you spoil me," Derek said, kissing Maggie's other cheek. He then released her from his embrace and stood next to her so he could better help her in cooking.

As Talon and Maggie cooked together, Claw passed by the kitchen with a basket full of sheets for laundry. He stopped for a second and smiled upon glancing at his friends cooking together. It made him wonder if, perhaps, one day they could find a way to get officially married. He was looking forward to dinner, so he made his way into the laundry room, wanting to make sure all his chores were done quickly. He wanted to have a little time to relax before dinner.

* * *

Out of breath, the young boy stopped and sat down, panting. He ran a lot of the way, and decided that though time was not on his side that day, he could at least take a moment to catch his breath. Daniel rested for a few minutes, and stood after finally feeling sufficiently rested. Before he set off again, though, he heard faint voices along the long, abandoned tunnel that led to the main Labyrinth entrance. He knew those must be Labyrinth residents, on their way to dinner.

He walked the rest of the way, also eager to eat something, as well as having his uncle's plan weighing heavily on him. Soon enough, he came upon the large, metallic door, which was slightly ajar. Slipping through the opening, he walked amongst the crowd. People chatted animatedly amongst themselves, waiting for dinner to be served. As he walked along, Daniel saw a small group of children around his age playing a board game in the corner. He had seen various children living in the Labyrinth, but had never approached any of them, and he figured perhaps he could try making new friends soon.

His attention moved from the group of children to the door of the laundry area opening. As he spotted the tiger mutate stepping out, Daniel stiffened. It was there where he had hidden the blanket he would later try passing to his uncle. When Claw closed the door to the laundry room and walked away, though, Daniel breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe I'm a little too jumpy about this," Daniel muttered to himself. "I won't be able to do this if I don't calm down."

Daniel saw that Claw had walked down the hall that led to his room. As he made his way towards the laundry room, Daniel sneaked a glance into the kitchen, and noticed Talon and Maggie busy with dinner preparations. Stopping there, Daniel glanced around, making sure nobody was watching him. Claw was in his room, Talon and Maggie were busy in the kitchen, the clones were nowhere to be seen, and all the Labyrinth residents were busy on their own ways while expecting dinner. He knew that if there was a moment to go ahead with the plan, this was it.

Daniel walked slowly, casually, towards the laundry room. He did not want anybody to pay any attention to him, and looking to the large crowd of people, he saw that he was making a good job of passing by without attracting anybody's attention unnecessarily. A few moments later, as he was about to reach the door, the boy gasped as he felt a sudden tingle on the back of his neck, which spread throughout his body, all the way to his fingertips, and made his short hair stand lightly on end. Turning around quickly, he looked up to see Claw grinning down at him. The mutate held up a finger, a very mild, almost invisible sparkle of electricity flickered on the tip of his claw, to show the boy exactly what he had just felt.

"You're so mean," Daniel said, though he chuckled as he said it.

Still grinning, Claw held his notepad and pen in his other hand, bringing it up to write on and showing it to Daniel. _"It's nice to see you again. What were you up to?"_

"Just looking around," Daniel replied. "I was thinking maybe I should try meeting other kids down here. Make new friends, you know?"

Claw nodded, writing some more. _"That sounds great, Daniel. Dinner will be ready soon, so maybe after we eat, I can introduce you to some of the kids around here."_

"Sure, that sounds good," Daniel said. He followed his friend into the crowd, and away from the laundry room door, which Daniel took a quick glance back at. He now had to find another chance, he knew, and it was probable that it would be more difficult.

Not long afterwards, Talon, Maggie and the other people who were cooking dinner began serving it to the crowd. Daniel rather quietly greeted the other mutates as he and Claw eventually walked up to get their dinner. Claw served himself some roasted chicken and potatoes, while Daniel made do with some fried chicken and French fries, glad that the menu was much more varied tonight than on his previous visits. Soon enough both of them joined the crowd as they sat down at a table and began eating.

Daniel tried his best to look normal as he ate, but the nervousness of his uncle's escape plan got to him a little, enough so that he was not eating much of his dinner. Claw was quick to notice it. Curious, he set his dinner aside and wrote on his notepad. Daniel seemed to not notice, and when the mutate tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, the boy jumped a little, but quickly read the note.

"_Is something the matter, Daniel? You've barely touched your dinner, and you look a little uneasy."_

"No, nothing's wrong, Claw," Daniel said. "Just feeling a little queasy."

Claw nodded, and wrote more. _"How about you take a bit of a walk? Maybe your stomach will calm down."_

"Yeah, maybe that can help," Daniel said, and yet as he stood up, he felt the need to say more. "Or maybe just a quick stop at the bathroom. Wait for me here, I'll try not to take long."

Claw smiled and nodded. He turned back to his dinner and continued eating as Daniel walked away. However, Daniel did not head directly towards the bathroom. He found it quite surprising that he could have come up with an excuse to sneak away so quickly, but knew he only had a few minutes to spare. Stopping at the door to the laundry room, Daniel took a quick glance around the large room. Everybody was too busy eating, with Talon and Maggie having sat down together near the entrance area, and Claw had his back turned to him. Daniel opened the door and quickly darted inside. After a quick search, he was glad to see that the blanket, the largest one he had found, was still tucked away where he had left it, buried under a big pile of other blankets.

Taking the blanket, Daniel exited the room, closing the door behind him. He knew it was now or never, and he sneaked as quickly and quietly as he could towards the hall that led to the holding cells. He kept taking glances back at the crowd, until he reached the hall and quickly jogged along it. At this moment, Daniel could not believe his luck, and he now felt positive that this just might work.

* * *

Fang's mind was currently in a big blank. Lying in his cot, staring at the ceiling for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he often wondered how he had held on to his sanity so strongly throughout all the time he had been imprisoned, not counting his very few and completely unsuccessful escape attempts. Mostly, he was impressed with his patience, and he felt a certain sense of pride about it, as he had never considered himself a patient man at all.

He had been doing a lot of thinking during and after his shower. Though his patience had been wearing thin in the last few days, he knew it would not help him to get stressed out. Daniel was an eleven year old boy, after all, and Fang decided to just accept that his nephew could not just come by so easily. He had already promised to help Fang escape, after all, so Fang decided to just wait until Daniel could finally get a chance to drop by, and then just hope for the best. Still, he hoped his nephew wouldn't take too long, anyway. Closing his eyes, he decided he'd just take a nap until his food was taken to him.

Fang's ears twitched a little when he heard footsteps a few moments later. It was a lot earlier than his usual dinner time, so he turned his head to check out who was coming. He saw nobody at first, and he heard the familiar click of the button to unlock his cell door, and a second later, Fang sat up swiftly, eyes wide and a big grin on his face at the sight of the brown-haired boy tugging the door open. "Holy crap! Positive thinking does pay off!"

Daniel ignored his uncle's comment, entering the cell and putting a large, folded up blanket on the mutate's lap. "No time for talk, Uncle!" Daniel said in a hushed, rapid voice. "Everybody's having dinner at the moment, but I have to get back there right now. I'll tell Claw I don't feel well so he'll take me home. Wait about five minutes after I leave here, then sneak out. I don't know where the clones are, so you'll have to be careful with them."

"You bet," Fang said with a nod of his head. He looked surprised and impressed by how thorough and take-charge Daniel was being. It was a side of his introverted nephew that he had never seen before.

"Here," Daniel said, taking a piece of paper out of his jeans pocket and handing it to Fang. "I wrote directions to my apartment there."

"Then I'll catch you later," Fang whispered. "Now go!"

Daniel nodded and ran out of the cell. He pushed the door until it locked, and once more pressed the button to unlock it, so Fang could push it open on his way out. Flashing his uncle a smile and a thumbs-up, Daniel ran off. Fang watched him go until he rounded the corner and was out of sight. Taking a look at the paper in his hand, he quickly read the directions, and was relieved to find he knew that area and would not have to search around. Then he unfolded the blanket and found it to be larger than the ones he had in his cell. He folded his wings around his shoulders and covered himself with the blanket. Leaving a small opening in front of his face to look out of, like a hood, he found that if he hunched, the blanket could cover his whole body.

Taking off the blanket, Fang sat down, a huge grin on his face. "Oh, God bless you, Danny Boy!"

* * *

Almost finished with his dinner, Claw took a look at the plate next to his. Daniel's food was quickly getting cold. A little concerned now, Claw quickly ate the rest of his meal, stood and took the plastic plate and utensils to deposit them in the garbage cans. He decided to go check on Daniel, wondering if, perhaps, the boy might be a little ill. Making his way to the bathroom, he was about to enter, but as he reached for the doorknob, the door opened slowly, and Daniel walked out.

Daniel looked up at the mutate right after stepping out, and Claw smiled down at him. Claw rubbed his tummy while looking at the boy, then cocked his head to the side with a quizzical look. Slowly getting better with understanding Claw's sign language, Daniel knew his friend had asked if he was feeling well.

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay, Claw," Daniel said, also rubbing his tummy. "Just a bit of a stomach-ache. I've been a little queasy like that all day."

Nodding, Claw took his notepad this time and wrote on it. _"Maybe I should take you home, then? I know it's a bummer to cut your visit short tonight, but if you feel ill, it would be best if you go home and rest up."_

"Yeah, I better do that," Daniel said. "I guess I'll meet some of the other kids here another time. Maybe I could bring some comics, so we can have stuff to read."

Claw smiled at that, and pointed to a table, where Talon and Maggie were sitting. Daniel followed as the tiger-man made his way there, surely to let the other mutates know where he was going. As he followed his friend, Daniel took a quick look back at the hall that lead to the holding cells. He knew he had lucked out yet again, having noticed Claw putting his empty plates on the garbage, and snuck into the bathroom, having peeked out through a tiny opening for Claw to come nearby before Daniel stepped out.

Stepping up to Claw, he saw the largest mutate give his friends a quick note from his pad. They both nodded and bid Daniel good-bye. Before leaving, Claw insisted on giving Daniel two apples for the boy to eat later, having explained that even though he had an upset stomach, Daniel had barely eaten dinner, and should at least eat something light to help settle. The boy accepted without protest, and took the apples in a small bag as he walked with Claw into the tunnels. Now on his way home, Daniel's part of his uncle's escape plan was finished. He knew that, from that moment on, it would all depend on how luck would favor his uncle.

* * *

Doing his best to sit still, Fang closed his eyes and rolled the balled up blanket on his hands. He had his eyes closed, counting slowly in his mind. After so long in the cell, it should be simple for the mutate to count in his head until he reached five minutes, simply count to three hundred. In his eagerness, though, he had lost count, and grumbled in frustration. He tried it a second time, and lost count yet again, and it was only moments after that happened that he realized that, by now, about five minutes should have passed. Deciding he could wait no longer, Fang once more folded his wings and put on the blanket. After making sure it covered him fully and he could see well, he pushed the cell door open. Stepping out, he quickly closed it, hearing the lock click, for what he hoped would be the last time.

He ran towards the end of the hall and cautiously peeked out of a corner. Seeing nobody, he ran towards the end of the next hall, and could now hear many voices and smell food. Certainly the residents of the Labyrinth were still having dinner. Ignoring the fact that he was getting hungry, Fang peeked down a nearby hall that led further into the Labyrinth. A couple of steps into the hall, though, he stopped suddenly. He could hear voices down the hall, and as Daniel said, he had no idea where the clones could be. Having been thwarted by them before in a previous escape attempt, he knew he had to avoid them at all costs. He grumbled to himself, and slowly walked back out and into the Labyrinth's main area. He could see the large number of people, sitting together in groups. A few had finished eating and were simply mingling and talking with others.

Watching down the long hall, along the rail tracks nearby, the mutate spied the large metallic doors of the Labyrinth's main entrance. They were slightly ajar, and to Fang, the door to freedom seemed very close, and at the same time, a million miles away. Taking a deep breath, Fang bent over and walked to where the Labyrinth's main area dropped down onto the rails. He was glad for that short wall, and hoped it could properly provide all the cover he needed. He remained bent over, and walked as rapidly as he could along the wall. Though his steps made some noise, it seemed nobody could hear them due to the amount of people eating and talking. Yet, the closer he got to the door, the more nervous Fang got, and he started going a little faster, almost to the door now.

"Hey!" a woman's voice suddenly rang out.

Fang was caught by surprise. He stumbled, and his feet got tangled in the blanket, making him fall down. He winced as he hit the ground, and almost instinctively shut his eyes tightly. His gritted his jaws tightly and held on firmly to the blanket, knowing he had been spotted, that his covering up had been a failure and he was now caught. He simply laid still, waiting for Talon and Claw and the clones to jump on him and beat him right back into his cell.

"Don't leave your empty plate here, Carrie," the woman's voice continued. "It's not polite."

"Sorry, mom," a young girl's voice followed.

Fang's eyes opened wide. He had not been caught. This was all the incentive he needed, as he picked himself up and moved as quickly as possible towards the exit. In his haste, he didn't bother to keep quiet, wanting only to get out of there. The second he finally passed through the partly open door, Fang pressed himself against the wall. His breathing was quite rapid, and he tried calming down. He now took deep breaths, and after a moment of careful hearing, he knew that he had indeed managed it. He was out. He quickly removed the blanket, balled it up and began fleeing away from the Labyrinth, keeping the blanket just in case.

"I'm free," Fang said to himself with a chuckle, which turned into a laugh as he ran down the tunnel. "I'm outta there! My plan actually worked! Oh, I am such a freaking genius!"

Fang suddenly realized how loud he was being, and remembered that he was in a tunnel and his shouts could carry back into the Labyrinth. He figured he was not yet in the clear, knowing that Talon and the others were sure to go out searching for him the second they noticed he was not in his cell, which could be at any time. He stopped running and looked carefully, trying to remember where the nearest exit was. Despite being locked up for so long, he was surprised when he realized his memory of the Labyrinth and its surroundings was still very much intact, as he quickly recognized exactly where he was and which was the quickest way out.

However, after fully recognizing the place, he didn't head for an exit right away. After walking for a bit longer, he came across an opening. Peeking inside, he grinned, recognizing the room. He didn't know what it had been before, as he had found it in ruins, basically crumbling and with a lot of debris inside. Carefully, he stepped inside and headed towards one far corner of the room, being mindful of any nails and other hazards on the floor. Once he reached the corner, he carefully picked away at the debris, putting everything aside. Once the small corner area was clear, Fang noticed a few small holes on the concrete floor. He put his fingers in the holes, finding a perfect fit and lifting the slab of concrete with ease, setting it aside rather than tossing it, to not create any needless noise.

"Bingo," Fang said, reaching into a hole that the slab of concrete had been covering. He pulled out a small, white-colored bag, tied at the top with an old shoestring, and the mutate grinned when he found out that it still had the money he had put in it.

He remembered having found the bag in a trash can, and found it perfect to keep the money he took from the Labyrinth residents back in the day. Fang had never trusted anyone in the Labyrinth, and was sure that at any moment, anybody could simply go into his sleeping quarters and take the money, so he had searched for a hiding place, and was glad that it had been successful. He knew thirty-four dollars wasn't much, but it would do for any emergency, and he figured that if he needed something, he could ask his nephew to buy it for him. Fang put the bag partly inside his shorts, using the waistband to keep it in place, and then turned to leave.

Just as he was about the step out of that wreckage-filled room, the sound of footsteps made Fang stop. He peeked out the opening, and spotted a skinny, bearded, middle-aged man walking hurriedly in his direction. From his expression and quick walking, Fang figured that this man was a Labyrinth resident, being late for dinner. It only took a second for a new idea to form in Fang's mind. Staring back into the ruined room, and then at the blanket he still carried, Fang's eyes gleamed. Smirking, the mutate covered himself up with the blanket once more and hunched over. Making sure his face could not be seen, he stood on the entrance to the room he was in and waited for the man to come closer before calling out to him, making the suddenly startled man turn towards the cloaked figure.

"S'cuse me, mister," Fang called out, faking his voice. "Din't mean to scare ya. I just could really use yer help."

"Um… okay…" the man said, looking quite apprehensive. "What can I do for you?"

"Ya see, I live a ways from here, and I done heard 'bout this place called the Labyrinth. Heard it wuz a good place to go, and that they don't care how people look. Even heard the folks who run it look like some o' them gargoyle things."

"You heard right, then," the man said, looking a little calmer. "Talon's pretty much the man in charge there, and he does look like a gargoyle. So, about the looks, is that why you're all covered up?"

"Ol' buildin' I used to sleep in burned down, and I barely managed to get out," Fang said, keeping his grin well hidden. "Got burnt up on my face and arms. I hate how people look at me like some damn freak."

"Well, I don't think you'll have a problem there. How about coming with me?"

"I just… I really don't feel much comfortable 'round lot of folks so sudden. Maybe if this Talon fella could come over? I think I'd feel a lil better if he spoke to me. I just wanna make sure this really's a nice place to go to."

"I understand," the Labyrinth resident said. "I'll tell Talon to come by here as soon as I get there."

"Thanks, mister, I really 'ppreciate it," Fang said, and he watched the man hurry away. Turning back to the room, Fang removed the cloak and quickly searched for a couple of things he'd need. The cougar mutate grinned the whole time, his goal of escape currently forgotten. He had a new goal in mind, and he knew it would be more satisfying than escaping his prison.

* * *

Dinnertime was just about over for the night in the Labyrinth. By now, just about everyone had finished eating. People now sat by and talked, children played games and others went their own way to other places. Talon and Maggie, along with a few others, decided to put the little food that was left in the kitchen, just in case, and also helped in washing the pots, pans and casseroles that were empty.

Talon smiled mischievously as he put a now clean pan away, and he flicked some of the water in his hand at Maggie. The cat woman gasped when the water landed on her face and neck, but then laughed and returned the favor. Both mutates laughed now, as they sprayed water at one another, causing a few of the people around them to chuckle at the sight. As soon as they finished cleaning, the mutates left the kitchen, Talon's arm around his mate's shoulders, as she leaned close to him.

"I take it from the water wars that you want to shower?" Maggie asked.

"Shower together, honey," Talon said with a smile. Their sleeping quarters were the only ones in the Labyrinth that had a bathroom, so they had all the privacy they needed as a couple.

"Best kind of shower," Maggie said, also smiling.

"Hey, Talon," a voice called out, and a second later, a bearded man jogged up to the two mutates. "Glad I found you."

"Hey, Clark," Talon greeted the man. "Little late, huh?"

"Yup," Clark said. "Is there any food left?"

"There is still some in the kitchen," Maggie said.

"Ah, thank goodness," Clark said. "By the way, Talon, you know that part of the tunnel a few minutes from here that's all torn up and falling apart?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"There's some guy over there. He's covered up with a blanket, says he's all burnt up and that he doesn't like people looking at him weird. He's kind of afraid of coming here. I told him about you, and he says he'd feel better if you could go talk to him. Looks to me like he wants to make sure nobody will judge his looks down here."

"I see," Talon said. "I better get going, then. See if we can get that poor man to come here and get some food and a place to sleep."

Clark excused himself and hurried into the kitchen, eager to eat something. Talon and Maggie hugged each other, with Talon looking a bit bummed despite his smile. "Looks like the shower will have to wait."

"It's okay, Derek," Maggie said. "That man needs you, especially if he's feeling insecure. You go ahead. I'll see you later. Maybe we could go for a glide around town, too."

"Right, I like that," Talon said with a smile, then gave Maggie a kiss. "I'll see you later, dear."

Breaking the embrace, Talon headed towards the Labyrinth's entrance, taking one quick look back to see Maggie heading to mingle with a group of women. He smiled to himself, headed out the door and walked towards where Clark had pointed out. He reached that area of the tunnel in a few minutes. It was quite run down, and nobody ever hung around there, and people passed by mainly because it was near one of the various entrances that lead to the tunnel and Labyrinth's main entrance.

Upon arriving, Talon looked around, but could see nobody. There were a couple of entrances and tunnels around the place that lead to some empty rooms, apparently storage areas that were never used. "Hello?" Talon called out. "Sir, are you around here?"

Talon sighed as he received no reply. He figured the man must be very self-conscious about his scars, or else Talon's own appearance frightened him off. Not about to give up, the panther-man decided to take a look into each room. He found nothing on the first one, but upon checking on the second one, he saw something in the corner. It seemed to be someone crouching against the wall on a corner of the room, and as Clark had mentioned, a blanket was covering that person.

"There you are," Talon called out, slowly entering the room. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm Talon. The man you met a few minutes ago told me about you. Would you like to have a talk?"

The man did not reply. He didn't even move. Talon entered the room and slowly moved closer, carefully stepping along all the debris that littered the whole room. Once again, there were no signs of movement. Talon was growing increasingly concerned. He knew there was something wrong. He moved quicker, making his way to the figure. Upon reaching it, Talon carefully reached over and removed the blanket. He gasped when he saw that, underneath, there was no person. A pile of junk had been erected in that corner of the room. Pieces of concrete and wood stacked one on top of another, supported by the walls.

Talon's instincts told him to get out of there. He knew that this could have been a simple prank, but he had been a police officer long enough to know that any situation could have a potential to be very dangerous, and he knew that there was something very wrong with this situation. He leaped over the debris once, twice, and reached the door-less entrance. The moment he stepped out, a powerful burst of electricity hit Talon on the side, sending him flying. The attack had been so sudden that he had no time to even cry out. Hitting a wall, Talon slumped to the floor.

He groaned, feeling his body settling after the electric shock, thanks to his own ability to generate electricity. As he started to get up, he looked over at his attacker, and gasped when he saw Fang. The brown-furred mutate looked both angry and happy at the same time, a big, almost maniacal grin on his face as he rushed towards Talon at great speed. The attack had caught Talon by surprise, and Fang's immediate follow-up left Talon no time to react. The only other thing the panther mutate managed to see was the thick lead pipe that Fang held in both hands. He saw Fang swing the pipe towards his face, and afterwards, Talon felt nothing but pain.

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2. Also as a warning, violence and foul language are present in this chapter.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 5: Success**

**By RemTar85**

As the tiger mutate soared through the night sky, the boy he held clung firmly to his fur. In his haste to get to the Labyrinth in time to carry out his uncle's plan and still get back home before his mother returned and noticed him missing, Daniel had forgotten to take a jacket. Despite it being summer, the evening breeze was chilly when one was flying above the city, and Daniel was very glad when Claw landed on his building's rooftop.

After setting the boy down, Claw smiled a little at the sight of Daniel frantically rubbing his arms for warmth, and he took his notepad and pencil to write on it. _"Now look at you, Daniel. I really hope you don't catch a cold because of this. Make sure you never forget your jacket from now on."_

After taking the note and reading it under the bright moonlight, Daniel nodded. "Got it. Don't worry, it won't happen again. Honestly, I know you guys are furry and all, but if this is how summer nights are, I don't even want to begin imagining how it is during the winter."

Claw only grinned, leaning down to pat the boy in the back and pointing down, signaling that Daniel should go back home, inside of his warm apartment. He also handed Daniel the brown paper bag he had been holding, which contained two apples he had taken for Daniel in the Labyrinth. The tiger-man turned to leave and stretched his wings, ready to take off, when Daniel suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him. Claw stopped before leaping into the sky, looking down at the boy in mild confusion.

Daniel kept himself calm, not wanting to appear too sudden, as he figured that if he wanted to give his uncle time to escape, he should try and keep Claw away from the Labyrinth and its surroundings at least a little longer. "Claw… can I ask you something?"

The mutate's look of confusion turned to curiosity. He turned around and walked towards the edge of the building, around the back of it, facing away from the streets and anyone who might spot him. Sitting down , Claw turned his attention back to Daniel and nodded.

"I've been wondering about something. We met not long ago, and I haven't visited the Labyrinth much. And it's way cool that we became buddies and all. But, that's kind of what I'm wondering. How come you befriended me so fast, when we pretty much just met, and I'm just some outsider? There's a whole bunch of kids in the Labyrinth, so why me?"

Claw smiled again, once more picking his notepad and writing on it. After handing it to the boy, he let electricity surge through his hands, to create better light for Daniel to read the note. _"Well, like I said, there are no minors in the Labyrinth without family members with them. Elisa makes sure all orphans and runaways are taken to good places. So, when you showed up, all alone but telling us you have a home and family and were simply looking for a meal and then hoped to drop by for more visits, I guess maybe some protective instinct just kicked in. Just reminded me of someone, I guess."_

After reading the note under the light generated by the mutate, Daniel looked up at him. "I reminded of you of someone? So, you dealt with kids before becoming a mutate? Like a teacher, maybe?"

Claw's smiled dimmed down. He sighed softly, and Daniel, noticing the mutate's change of mood, could not help but continue questioning, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Was it family, then? Is that why you say I remind you of someone you knew? Did you have a family before you got turned into a mutate?"

Claw's expression turned uncomfortable now, and Daniel wished he had kept his mouth shut after seeing it. Daniel could not decipher what Claw was feeling at that moment, but it was certainly not positive. Daniel could easily tell that he had just touched a delicate subject to his friend, and now felt quite bad about it.

"I'm sorry, Claw, I didn't mean anything bad," Daniel said, rather shyly extending his hand to give Claw back his notepad.

Claw looked rather serious now as he took back his notepad, and once more he wrote on it, showing it to Daniel rather than handing it to him again. _"It's okay, Daniel. Don't feel bad, you didn't know. The subject of my past, prior to being a mutate, is something I don't feel comfortable sharing with anybody. Not even Derek or Maggie, who are like family to me. Hopefully someday I'll be able to deal with it, but for now, I'd rather not talk about it."_

"I understand, Claw," Daniel said after reading. "I promise I'll never bring it up again."

Claw nodded, a smile appearing on his face once more. He patted the boy's shoulder and gave a thumbs-up to show everything was okay. He pointed towards the fire escape, signaling for the boy to go home. Standing on the edge of the building, Claw extended his wings and took off into the night sky. Daniel saw him fly off, and then, instead of climbing down the fire escape, Daniel took the door that led to the main building's stairwell.

When he reached his apartment, Daniel tried the door, finding it locked. He was relieved by this, as it meant neither his mother nor his stepfather had arrived yet. Taking the spare key from his pocket, he opened the door and went in, closing and locking the door afterwards. Immediately he went to his room, turning on the light and opening his window. He wanted his uncle to find it open, if he had escaped. And, after what had happened with Claw minutes before, Daniel could only hope that Claw would never find out that it had been Daniel who had let the imprisoned mutate out of his cell.

* * *

Fang grinned as he administered a heavy blow to Talon's head with the thick lead pipe he had found. He had hidden in an adjacent room as the panther mutate fell for his trap, and had used the strongest electric blast he could muster to knock down Talon, following with a wild swing that hit its mark. Fang felt a morbid kind of pleasure hearing the pipe connect with Talon's head, a spray of blood bursting out of Talon's mouth as he collapsed to the floor.

"Nice little surprise, eh, fearless leader?" Fang asked mockingly. "How was that little energy blast? It was pretty strong, right? Comes from saving it up for a whole lot of fucking time!"

Talon coughed as he struggled to get up, listening to Fang's voice change from a mocking tone to an angry scream. Blood sprayed on the floor as he coughed, and though his vision was blurred from the blow and the horrible pain on his head, Talon felt disgusted when he noticed three of his teeth on the floor before him, having been knocked off by the heavy blow.

Fang noticed this too, and laughed heartily. "Hey, look on the positive side! The Tooth Fairy's gonna have a field day with those! I wonder if you'll grow any back now. Sure hope not, because you'd look hilarious with those gaps in there every time you opened your mouth."

"How?" Talon asked, finally able to talk, albeit in a painful groan. "How did you get out? Who let you out?"

"Ah, ah, ah, that's for me to know and you to find out," Fang said. "See, now, you could've saved yourself a lot of pain and three teeth if you had only let me the hell out of that cell, at least from time to time. But no, big bad Fang's too mean and dangerous and he must never see the light of day again! Admit it, Talon, you kept me locked up all that time and never gave me a chance to redeem myself only because you hate my guts."

Talon growled at this, and looked up at Fang, anger gleaming in his eyes. Fang scoffed at this, and as Talon tried slowly to get to his feet, Fang delivered a hard kick to Talon's stomach, making him roll over onto his back, clutching his stomach and gasping for breath, a couple of trickles of blood dribbling out his mouth and down his snout now. Fang smirked, setting the pipe down onto the floor and holding on to one of the ends, leaning on it as though it were a cane.

"I told you I'd get out someday," Fang said. "It was only a matter of time before it happened. Now, this bit of batting practice is enough to brighten things up and make up for the crap you always make me go through. And now, I just go and get the hell out of here. I miss flying, and the world's full of possibilities for me."

"And what are those, Fang?" Talon wheezed out, slowly regaining his breath and looking up at Fang with a scowl. "Target practice for the Quarrymen? No, most likely as a sideshow freak in some carnival. That one's right up your alley."

Fang's smirk turned into a frown, growling as he heard this. "Holier-than-thou till the end, huh, Talon? Pulling the freak card out, too, which is really pathetic. I think you forgot, right? I like this form. Call me a freak and a monster all you want, I don't care, because right now I'm one powerful bastard, and as a human, I was a worthless nobody, so it's all thumbs up for me."

"You're still a worthless nobody," Talon replied.

"Not from where I'm standing," Fang said, grinning again as he looked at the bloodied mutate. "Funny how roles get reversed, huh? As a human, I was a complete loser, and right now I'm top of the heap. And while you were human, you were a policeman, helicopter pilot and even bodyguard for the richest guy in the city. And now? You're just a freak living in tunnels and taking care of a horde of bums and hobos. Perfect little kingdom for King Talon."

Fang laughed as Talon growled, pulling himself up to a sitting position as the brown-furred mutate continued his ranting. "And you know the best part? In the end, you could have prevented all of this happening to you if you had listened to you sister. You'd still be a human, up there with your family, if only you hadn't been a stubborn little brat and just clicked the 'Play' button on that tape she gave you."

Talon knew very well when Fang meant. Back when he was a human, when he had left the police force and taken the job offer as Xanatos's personal pilot and bodyguard, he had constantly shot down his sister's attempts at trying to convince him that Xanatos was up to no good. He had ignored the tape recording she had given him, where she mentioned she had proof of Xanatos's true intentions, and even after being transformed into a mutate, he had remained stubborn as ever. He had forgotten that tape recorder, having left it at his parents' house during a visit shortly after Elisa had given it to him as a human, and had found it once more the night he had shown his mutated self and his mutate companions to his parents. All four mutates listened to it, and despite how glad he was that he and Maggie were brought together through this incident, Talon was crushed to know that he had brought it all upon himself.

"Oh, looks like I struck a nerve there!" Fang said mockingly. "As if that wasn't bad enough, I still remember what a savage you were during those times. You sure were taking the whole psycho killer thing on Goliath seriously. And the way you acted towards your sister! You sure made me look like an angel back then, Talon, because I honestly thought that you were gonna kill your sister if she kept protecting Goliath. Now that is… "

Fang was stopped in mid-sentence by a sudden electric blast from Talon. The panther mutate had had enough of Fang's big mouth, and had managed to catch Fang by surprise. As Fang cried out and got knocked back, a furious Talon quickly got to his feet, determined to put Fang back in his cell by force. However, as soon as he stood, he felt a sudden dizziness. He knew that the blow to his head with that lead pipe had been stronger than he thought, and standing up too quickly and suddenly made him disoriented. He shook his head, hoping to shake it off, and he then dashed towards Fang, not wanting to give him a chance to recover, electricity charging up on his fists.

The cougar-man had not expected the sudden attack that sent him flying back, making him lose his grip on the lead pipe, which fell a couple of feet away. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Talon about to attack him again, but Fang noticed that he seemed rather out of it, as if dizzy, and a little slower than he expected. This was the chance Fang needed, and as Talon was about to blast him again, Fang quickly raised his hands and fired an electric blast before Talon could. Talon was knocked back as well, but already he was recovering from the dizziness that was afflicting him. Unfortunately for him, a now enraged Fang was quicker to recover.

"Don't you ever give up?" Fang yelled. He quickly stood up and once more grabbed the lead pipe. He snarled as he rushed towards Talon, who was standing back up. The panther mutate raised one of his hands to blast Fang again, but did not even get close to doing so, as Fang delivered another crushing blow with the pipe to Talon's head. Talon fell down once more, and was not moving. Fang was still snarling as he rolled Talon over with a foot. The fallen mutate was most definitely unconscious. As he watched Talon, Fang started panting as well, his snarls becoming louder, and after a few moments and with a furious roar, he took the lead pipe and began to savagely beat Talon with it.

"This is what you get, you son of a bitch!" Fang screamed in a rage as he struck blow after heavy blow as hard as he could. "Always screwing up my life! Always humiliating me! Making me look like a nobody, like a loser! And who's the loser now? Who's the loser now, you worthless, pathetic bastard?"

Fang continued pummeling Talon a few more moments after he had stopped screaming, and then he stopped altogether. He panted heavily as he threw the lead pipe aside. Talon was now not only unconscious, but also badly beaten, bruised and bloodied. Fang was certain that he'd done more than enough damage, and yet could still notice the panther-man's belly, raising up slowly, sporadically, showing he was still alive and breathing. And as he noticed that, Fang sneered and spit on Talon.

"Be glad I let you live, you piece of shit," he growled.

"Oh, my God!" a voice suddenly rang out.

Fang turned around, and saw Al and about six other Labyrinth dwellers nearby. Fang realized now that they must have heard his screams, and he quickly turned and ran off, knowing he could take them, but not wanting to risk the clones coming in as back-up. The Labyrinth dwellers quickly made their way to Talon, their shock and despair very evident as they saw the vicious beating that Talon had received.

Fang was angry at himself for getting sidetracked, as he was supposed to be escaping, but he allowed his desire for revenge on Talon to make him lose track of time and made him lose that discretion he had wanted to make said escape possible. Still, it did not seem to even be an issue, as he quickly came across the exit he was looking for. He went through, and he was out, in the back of an old building, and, making his way to higher ground, he leaped and took off into the sky, wings flapping as he gained altitude. He knew he was not out of the woods yet, though, and he elevated much higher into the night sky. He knew that Claw was probably on his way back to the Labyrinth by now, and that any of Goliath's clan could be patrolling the city, making him figure that the higher he was, the best he could evade being seen, and the more room to maneuver should he be seen.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Fang smiled and simply let the wind carry him around as he decided to kill a little time before he went to see Daniel, just to be safe. Despite knowing he would now have to come up with a lie to tell his nephew regarding what happened to Talon, Fang relished on being able to fly again, feeling free. It was just as pleasant to him as knowing that he had taken revenge on Talon, a lot more than he thought he ever would.

* * *

Claw flew slowly back to one of the various paths that lead to the Labyrinth. He was admonishing himself for reacting the way he did to Daniel's questions. He always reacted this way when someone brought up that topic, as it was quite a sensitive topic for him, and one he had never talked about with, not even with his closest friends. Still, Daniel was a child, and children were curious by nature. Claw felt he could have reacted better, and hoped the boy would not feel bad about it. He decided he would more properly apologize to Daniel when the boy next visited the Labyrinth.

As he neared the entrance to the Labyrinth, near an abandoned building like most were, Claw hovered around in the air for a few minutes, searching for any signs of life anywhere in the surroundings. He remembered how he had gotten careless and been attacked once, along with the clones, by Quarrymen. They had barely managed to escaped the gargoyle-hating group that one time, and Claw wanted to make sure that they never attacked him again, also making sure that they never found their way to the Labyrinth. He did not want to think of the chaos the Quarrymen would cause should they ever find it.

After making sure no one was nearby, Claw landed and made his way down into the tunnels. Having chosen one of the tunnels nearest the Labyrinth's main area, he had to walk only a little bit. Upon entering the main tunnel, though, his superior sense of smell registered a familiar scent. Claw could smell blood, specifically mutate blood. During his time living in the Labyrinth, and tending to common cuts and bruises amongst all residents, he had somehow managed to notice the difference between human, gargoyle and mutate blood. He always found this fact to be rather morbid, and the presence of blood was confirmed to him when, seconds later, he stepped on something liquid, and looking down, he saw it as blood, which formed a trail straight towards the Labyrinth.

Instantly growing concerned, Claw ran towards the main area. As he neared the large door, his ears could pick up voices. They were too many to make out anything specific, but Claw could immediately recognize they sounded very concerned and worried. He quickly reached the partly open door, and upon entering the Labyrinth's main area, he saw a very large crowd near the entrance to the hall that lead to the room used to help sick and injured people. As he could not speak, Claw clapped his hands several times and instantly began moving through the crowd. Hearing the clapping, many heads turned, and the residents quickly made way for Claw to pass. Claw realized he had heard right as he could see a sea of worried faces. Having made his way through the crowd, Claw quickly entered the room, and he was shocked at what he saw.

Talon laid unconscious on one of the eight beds they kept in the immaculately clean room. The panther mutate was covered in blood. Two women were there, one of them carefully wiping the blood off of Talon with a damp cloth, a bowl of water next to her as she constantly rinsed the cloth to wipe off more blood. The other woman was carefully applying disinfectant to Talon's many cuts and bruises, and then proceeded to bandage them, looking quite worried about injuring him further. Also there, was Maggie, crying in despair over Talon, holding one of his hands as she looked at his seemingly sleeping form.

Claw took a few steps into the room, watching over Talon's brutally beaten form. The two women kept working on him, and Maggie looked up, meeting Claw's eyes when the largest of the mutates reached the bedside. Her tear-filled eyes told all, as she found herself unable to speak from the pain and grief, and it broke Claw's heart. He was so shocked by the scene before him that he tensed immediately when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It was Fang," Al said as Claw turned to him. "He escaped his cell. We have no idea how, but me and some others heard him screaming out in a tunnel and we found him beating up on Talon with a lead pipe."

Claw was further stunned by this, and he made to leave the room, but Al immediately grabbed his arm to stop him. "Wait! I already asked the clones and some of the guys to search for him in all the tunnels they can. But I don't think they'll find him, he ran off as soon as we spotted him. Look, we can deal with Fang later, but we got to help Derek right now! We're worried that we just might have injured him worse by carrying him here, and there's not enough here to help him out. We don't even know if he's unconscious or worse, we only know he's alive, but Fang was beating him with a lead pipe, and it looked like he was aiming to kill. Derek could have broken bones, maybe even be in a coma, we just don't know."

Both of them turned to Talon, Maggie still weeping over him, the two women trying to comfort her as they tended to Talon. Claw then took his notepad and pen and quickly scribbled a note on it, writing as clearly and quickly as he could. Ripping it off, he handed it to Al, then turned and took off running. The crowd parted way again, this time much quicker, as the tiger mutate was looking sternly serious, even furious. Al moved to the door and saw Claw run out the door and into the tunnels. Immediately, he checked the note Claw had written.

"_I'm going to go get Elisa. She needs to know what happened, and will know what to do. We'll try to find proper medical care, maybe from Xanatos, and ask Goliath and the others to keep an eye out for Fang."_

Al sighed after reading this, looking back at Talon, and also at Maggie. After everything the two of them, as well as Claw, had done for him and everybody else in the Labyrinth, seeing Talon and Maggie like this pained him very much. Remembering how Fang had terrorized him in the past, the old man was hoping that he would be caught before he could harm anybody else like he had done with Talon. Al also wondered what would be done to Fang once and if he was recaptured, because after everything he had seen, Al was almost certain that locking him back up and throwing away the key simply would not do. Not anymore.

* * *

Daniel washed his hands thoroughly, having just tossed the second apple core in the trash can that was in the kitchen. He always had the habit of washing his hands both before and after eating, and having barely eaten anything in the Labyrinth, he had eagerly eaten the two apples Claw had given him. And eating something also helped him relax a little, as he was becoming increasingly impatient and jittery. He took a small kitchen towel, dried up his hands and started walking around the apartment.

He chuckled to himself after his fourth walk from the kitchen, to the living room, to his bedroom, and back. Another habit of his, walking around when he was impatient or nervous about anything, unable to just sit still and wait it out, and not even reading his comics or watching television worked to keep him entertained enough to be still. It especially annoyed his mother when he was waiting for dinner to be ready, and was the reason he did not bother turning on the television. He was simply too anxious regarding the results on whether his uncle had managed to escape or not.

He had walked throughout the apartment for a while now, and decided to stop a little while in the kitchen. Taking a glass, he got himself some water from the fridge, and checked the clock set up on the wall of the kitchen as he drank. It was almost nine o' clock, so it probably would not be too long till his mother returned. Though she said she'd bring him dinner, the two apples he had eaten a little earlier had filled him up for now, and he had no more appetite. His thoughts were interrupted by a strange, sudden noise from his room, and he almost dropped the glass of water, putting it on the kitchen counter as a voice rang out.

"Damn friggin' idiots. Who the hell thinks of putting a fire escape next to a bedroom window? A window that's already too damn small! Damn, stupid, architect wannabes…"

Daniel smiled instantly when he recognized the angry voice, and ran to his bedroom. Standing at the door, the boy could not help but grin and laugh a little as he witnessed his mutated uncle squeezing himself through the window. Even though he had folded his wings around his shoulders in his usual way, he was still pretty big, and had trouble trying to fit his broad shoulders through the window.

"Hey there, Danny boy," Fang called out, managing to finally fit through the window and enter the room, where he ended up almost falling on the floor, but quickly got up on his knees, grinning at his nephew. "Now what kind of a greeting is that for your uncle, laughing at me like that?"

"You made it, Uncle Freddy!" Daniel said, still grinning, and he went into the room, giving his uncle a hug, which the mutate returned, wrapping his arms around the boy.

"Hey, it's all thanks to you, kiddo!" Fang replied. "And I thought we agreed, call me Fang now."

"Okay then," Daniel said. "Uncle Fang?"

"Yeah?"

"You're crushing me," Daniel said in a half-amused, half-pained voice.

"Oh, crap!" Fang said, not realizing he was giving such a tight hug. "Sorry about that, Danny. Not really used to being around kids after I got turned to a mutate, you know?"

"It's okay," said Daniel. "I'm just really glad you're out of there. But what took you so long to get here?"

Fang sighed, getting up so he could sit more comfortably on his nephew's bed. "For one thing, I had to kill some time, make sure Claw didn't see me on my way here, since he brought you and we could've bumped into each other. But, even worse, when I was making my way through the tunnels, I bumped into Talon, and a fight broke out."

"Really?" Daniel asked, inspecting his uncle. "But you look okay."

"Well, he managed to catch me by surprise, and he almost had me when I grabbed a lead pipe nearby and hit him with it a couple of times. I ended up knocking him out. He was unconscious, but breathing, so I high-tailed it out of there."

"Geez," Daniel muttered, sitting next to his uncle. "That sounds really rough. I wish you didn't have to do that."

"Same here. I didn't like Talon, but it's not like I would've hurt him bad on purpose. I just defended myself," Fang said, surprised on how he could say that and sound like he actually meant it.

"Then let's hope he gets better soon," Daniel said. "But at least now you're out and free."

"Yup," Fang said with a grin. "And I already know what I'll do next."

"Do next?"

"Well, let's face facts, Danny Boy," Fang said. "Looking like I do, there aren't many options for me out there. Plus, you can't keep me hidden here, at least not for long. I'm too big to hide in a small apartment, and I don't even want to imagine your mom asking you why so much food ends up disappearing."

"Yeah, that would be trouble," Daniel says with a nod.

"But, like I said, I know what to do next. You know about the Eyrie Building?"

"Of course I do," Daniel replied. "It's hard to miss, being the tallest building in the whole city. But what are you thinking, going up there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Xanatos is the one responsible for having turned you into a mutate," Daniel said. "Claw told me about it. So why are you going there?"

Fang chuckled, putting an arm around his nephew's shoulders. "I told you, kiddo, I like being a mutate, so I'm pretty grateful to Xanatos. Besides, I bet Claw must have also told you that we all lived in the castle up on top for some time after we became mutates, right?"

"Yeah, he did," Daniel replied.

"Well," Fang continued, "if there's one thing I've learned about David Xanatos, is that he never wastes an opportunity on anything. So, I'll go there and offer up my services on anything he wants. I'm pretty sure he won't mind putting me up in security or anything like that."

"I see now," Daniel said. "That sounds like a pretty good idea, Uncle Fang. So then you'd end up living there again?"

"Exactly. But, of course, I'd come visit you often," Fang said, grinning at the boy. "And I'd take you up there to visit, too."

"Really?" Daniel asked, looking excited. "That would be awesome, I've always wanted to see that castle up there!"

"Then you'll get to see it soon, Danny Boy," Fang said, looking smug, "because I'm going up there a little later tonight. And pretty soon, your uncle's gonna be living large."

**To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2. This is also rated T for violence and language.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 6: Eyrie Expedition**

**By RemTar85**

A clearly frustrated winged tiger soared through the night skies of Manhattan, flying as fast as he could. He was panting heavily, in part because exhaustion was starting to get to him after quite a while of restless flight, and in part by pure anger. Claw was still shocked at the sight of Talon beaten like that, and even more so at hearing that an escaped Fang had been responsible. Claw had felt that he had a responsibility to keep watch over Fang after obeying him in his underhanded schemes and bullying of the Labyrinth dwellers. Had he only been at the Labyrinth at that time, it was very probable that Fang would not have escaped and Talon would not have been hurt.

Claw grunted and shook his head. In a way, he felt that it was his fault that this had happened, not having been there when Fang made his escape and injured Talon. Still, he had to stop blaming himself over what happened and keep a clear head to deal with the situation. His foremost responsibility at that time had been to get a young boy home safely, after all, and now his top priority was to find Talon's sister, Elisa. Unfortunately, he was unable to call her due to being unable to talk, and had been roaming the city for quite a while now, hoping to find her.

The mutate decided to land on top of a building, folding his wings around his shoulders as he sat on the edge, taking a rest for the moment. He had already gone by Elisa's house and by the police station, keeping a sharp eye out for Elisa's red car, but to no avail, and knowing that both Talon and Elisa's parents were out of town, as was their sister Beth, it was becoming annoyingly difficult to pinpoint the detective. After a couple of minutes of rest, though, Claw decided to go to the only other place he could think of, and where he was sure to find help. Spreading his wings, Claw leaped into the air and began flying towards the Castle Wyvern, at the top of the Eyrie building.

Visiting the home of one of the people responsible for turning him into a mutate was something Claw never hoped or wanted to do, but he was desperate now, and knew that one of the gargoyles would be able to help him get in touch with Elisa, if she wasn't there already. As he could see the building looming in the distance and getting closer as he flew, Claw noticed something. His sharp eyesight caught someone in the distance, and his eyes opened wide at recognizing the large body and wide wings of the Manhattan Clan's leader, Goliath. Flapping his wings, Claw flew as fast as he could to catch up, knowing that where Goliath was, Elisa was certain to be around as well.

It took only a few moments for Claw to reach Goliath, and ended up passing him so the lavender gargoyle could spot him. Turning in midair, Claw faced Goliath and waved his hands over his head, immediately catching his attention. Spotting the mutate, Goliath instantly noticed the very serious and urgent look on his friend's face as he waved almost frantically with both arms, and thus drew closer to the mutate.

"Claw, what's the matter?" Goliath asked.

Claw knew there was no time to waste, and immediately motioned for Goliath to follow him. Both winged creatures landed on the rooftop of the nearest building, and a now concerned Goliath watched as Claw took a notepad and pen he had been carrying in the inner part of the waistband of his shorts and frantically wrote on it. Once finished, he handed Goliath the note, the gargoyle's concerned expression turning grim as he read.

"_Fang has escaped the Labyrinth and badly injured Derek. Tell Elisa. We need serious medical attention A.S.A.P, and Fang needs to be caught."_

"I will contact her right away, and also a doctor we know of," Goliath said, now looking serious. "And I will have the clan go search for Fang immediately. Come!"

Claw nodded, and ran after his friend as both gargoyle and mutate dashed towards the edge of the building and leaped into the sky. The tiger-man followed Goliath as they swiftly glided, noticing Goliath speaking into the small microphone and ear-piece he constantly carried to keep in touch with Elisa and his clan. He had managed to do his task, finding Talon the help he'd need, but Claw was far from satisfied. He would not be satisfied until he caught up to Fang and made him pay.

* * *

"Mom?" Daniel called out from the kitchen, as he finished washing the dish and glass his mother had used to serve up the Chinese takeout and soda she had brought for him.

"Yes, Daniel?" Daniel's mother called out from her room.

"I'm really tired, I'm going to bed," said Daniel as he walked to his mother's bedroom door.

"Did you shower first?" she asked without looking at him, carefully tying her hair in a bun. Daniel knew from that, and her wearing her bathrobe, that she was aiming to shower soon.

"Yes," Daniel replied, feigning a yawn.

"Go ahead, then," she said, eyes never leaving her image in the mirror. "Looks like your bum of a stepfather won't be getting here early tonight either, so I'll just shower, read a book for a while and then go to sleep, too."

"Okay. Good night, Mom."

"Good night, son."

Walking slowly to his bedroom, Daniel took a look back at his mother, then turned towards his door and stepped inside. After he closed the door, he suppressed a chuckle at the sight of his mutated uncle pressed firmly to the wall. The cougar-man let out a soft sigh of relief and slid down the wall until he ended up sitting on the floor. He had been uneasy and silent ever since his nephew's mother had arrived. At the very least he had been able to eat the Chinese food that his sister-in-law had brought for her son, which calmed his rumbling stomach. Understanding the need for silence at the moment, Daniel sat on the floor in front of his uncle, both of them smirking at one another as they simply waited.

Fang was growing increasingly frustrated, as the minutes ticked by slowly. He had already had to wait for about an hour or so for Daniel's mother to return home, so his nephew would not have to stay alone, and now had to wait until she went into the shower so he could go out without being heard struggling to fit through the window. Finally, footsteps were heard out in the hall, followed by a door closing, and moments later, the sound of water running. Fang heaved a sigh of relief and quickly stood up.

"Finally! I thought she'd never get in the damn shower!" he said in a low voice.

"I hear that," Daniel added with a slight groan as he also stood up. "She always takes ages when she goes for a shower, and also for getting ready whenever she has to go out."

"Women," Fang added with a scoff. "Anyway, now that she's busy, and enough time's passed, I'd say it's high time I go pay Xanatos a visit."

The mutate quickly got to the window, slid it open and once again started the struggle to fit through it. He folded his wings and shrunk on the shoulders as best as he could, and this time managed to get through easier than before. He stood on the fire escape now and stretched, then smiled and turned to say good-bye to his nephew. The smile on his face faded, though, as he watched the boy putting on his blue-colored jacket, and then put his extra pillow on the bed, covering it up with his blanket. The mutate panicked, understanding his nephew's actions, and he quickly kneeled to speak through the open window.

"No!" Fang said in a loud whisper, with yellow eyes open wide. "No, no, no, no! You are not coming with me, Daniel!"

"But why not?" Daniel asked as he finished setting the blanket.

"Oh, come on, Daniel, you're smarter than that," Fang said, sounding frustrated. "I don't want to even think of what would happen if your mother discovered you've gone and disappeared from your room!"

"She won't notice," Daniel said, looking rather serious. "I don't even remember the last time my mom came into my room during the night to check up on me. The pillow and blanket is just in case."

"Oh," Fang muttered. "That's… uh… not nice of her."

"I guess I'm used to it," Daniel said with a shrug, then clicked off the light and walked to the window. "It's fine, really."

"Look, Danny, even so, I can't have you just go with me," Fang said, reaching over to pat his nephew on the shoulder.

"Come on, Uncle Fang!" Daniel pleaded. "I'm dying to get to see that castle! It'll be great! Mom's never gonna notice I'm gone, and besides, you could use my help."

"Your help?" Fang asked with a scoff, but a curious smirk was etched in his face. "Okay, this I got to hear."

"Well, if you're going up there to beg Mr. Xanatos for some type of job and to live at the castle, what better way to convince him than to take me up there with you? He's a parent, he won't be able to resist an uncle looking out for his nephew's well-being."

"Is that so?" Fang muttered, but could not help to chuckle. "Ah, crap. That's actually a pretty good point."

"It'll work out fine," said Daniel, climbing out of his window to join the mutate in the fire escape. "Besides, you owe me."

"Excuse me?"

"If it hadn't been for me, you'd still be locked up in that little cell at the Labyrinth," Daniel said with a smile. "So the least you could do is take me to see that castle."

"Okay, fine, you can come!" Fang said with a sigh, and looked at his nephew with a mix of scowl and smirk etched on his face. "You know, back in the day, you were the shyest, quietest, most obedient kid. When in the hell did you become so assertive like that?"

"I don't know," Daniel said with a shrug. "Guess I'm simply just growing up and getting more mature. I'll be a teenager in a couple of years, after all. And I'm just happy to have you back."

"And I'm happy to be back, kiddo," Fang said with a grin, and then he started climbing the fire escape to the roof. "Now come on. Time is money."

Daniel nodded, and followed his uncle up the rooftop, being careful not to get seen by anybody when they passed other windows on their way up. Finally on the roof, Daniel zipped up his jacket, and held on firmly to his mutated uncle as Fang picked him up. Glancing at the towering building in the distance, Fang took a running start, jumped off the roof and glided into the night sky, on their way to the Eyrie Building.

* * *

Goliath breathed deeply, trying to suppress the anger he felt. The sight of both Elisa and Maggie looking so heartbroken at the sight of the unconscious, badly injured Talon stirred many feelings in Goliath. But, just like with Claw, anger at the one responsible for this came the clearest out of all those feelings. Goliath and Claw remained at the entrance, having ushered the Labyrinth dwellers to leave some space for those who needed to be in the room. They were watching as an Asian man set up some equipment around Talon's bed after having checked on him quickly.

Claw sighed, leaning against the door frame, prompting Goliath to look at him. Gargoyle and mutate shared a look, and it was clear to both that they were thinking the same thing. Both were eager to just go out and find Fang, to capture him and make him pay for such a brutal attack on their friend. Still, they resisted that urge, as they knew the right thing to do was to support on their loved ones first, and neither would leave until they heard about Talon's condition. A few minutes later, they saw the doctor speaking to both Elisa and Maggie, and both came to attention. Elisa approached moments later, and Goliath and Claw were not pleased to see Elisa looking worse than when she walked in, while Maggie and the doctor remained with Talon.

"Will he be fine?" Goliath asked.

"Dr. Sato's not entirely sure, yet," Elisa said, looking back as the Asian man made sure all medical equipment was working properly. "He'll check Derek more thoroughly to make sure, and he says that later he'll pack up any other medical supplies he needs to bring, even extra, just in case. But it's not looking good right now. Dr. Sato said that the beating was brutal, and that if Derek doesn't wake up soon, he might be in a comma, and there's even a possibility of brain damage."

Both gargoyle and mutate could hear the distress in the detective's voice, even as she tried to remain as calm and composed as she could. Goliath's eyes glowed a bright white, and a low growl escaped him. Looking up at them both, Elisa sighed, and then reached to put a hand on Goliath's shoulder. The lavender gargoyle's eyes returned to normal as he looked down at her.

"As much as I wish to go out and find Fang, I'd much rather stay until we make completely sure how Derek is," she said.

"I agree," Goliath said, reaching to take Elisa's hand from his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Claw and I will look for Fang. I've also contacted the rest of the clan, and most of them have already begun searching for him."

"Thanks, Goliath," Elisa said, giving him a firm hug around the waist, which the gargoyle returned. "Just do me a favor. When you find Fang, take him down. Hard."

"I most certainly will," Goliath said in a low voice. Breaking the embrace, Elisa turned and went back to Maggie and Dr. Sato. Turning back to Claw, the both of them ran towards the entrance to the Labyrinth. Minutes later, both were soaring through the night sky, and hoping they'd get lucky in their search. After what happened to Talon, they did not want to think what Fang could do to someone else if he was not captured as soon as possible.

* * *

Daniel was glad that this time he didn't forget his jacket. He could feel the already cool evening air growing even colder as his uncle flew them higher and higher into the air. He dared to take a look down, out of curiosity, and gasped at seeing just how very far down the ground was. Instinctively, he buried his face on his uncle's shoulder, clinging firmly to his fur. Fang raised an eyebrow at this, and could not help but chuckle.

"I never knew you were scared of heights, Danny Boy," he said.

"I'm not!" Daniel replied. "But I've never been up this high before!"

"Come on, you little scaredy-cat!" Fang said with a laugh. "You're with me! I'm not going to let you fall."

"I know you won't," Daniel said. "Still, I'd rather just play it safe and not look down anymore."

Fang shook his head, smiled, and put his arms a little tighter around his nephew, reassuring him on being safe. Flapping his wings, he flew quicker, going higher, watching as the castle atop the Eyrie Building came closer and closer. Moments later, he reached his destination, and carefully landed on top of the highest turret. Once he felt that they had come to a stop, the boy finally dared to take a peek, lifting his head from his uncle's shoulder.

"Are we there yet?" he asked, his voice shaking a bit.

"Yup," Fang replied, letting his nephew down. "You're looking at your uncle's new home sweet home, kiddo."

"If we can manage to convince Mr. Xanatos, that is," Daniel said, walking towards the edge of the turret to take a look. "Wow. You can see the whole city from here!"

"Yeah, great view," Fang said, joining his nephew at the edge of the turret, "which you can enjoy later."

"Aww, come on," Daniel complained, looking up at the mutate. "I want to check the place out."

"And you will, Danny, but you'll be able to do it much better after we've made sure I'll be sticking around," Fang explained. "Xanatos is a busy guy, and I don't want to risk him not being around tonight."

"Okay. You're right, Uncle," Daniel said, slowly moving back from the turret's edge.

"Good," Fang said, walking now towards an opening on the floor, leading to some stairs. "Come on, Danny. I know where his office is."

Daniel nodded, taking one last look at the magnificent view of the city. He turned to see his mutated uncle now going down the stairs, and quickly followed. They made their way down the stairs, until they reached a large courtyard, where Daniel took a moment to take in his surroundings. It took Fang a few seconds to notice that his nephew had fallen behind, and he turned to watch the boy walking slowly, astounded by the castle. The cougar-man could not help but smile, stopping to allow his nephew to catch up.

"This place is huge," Daniel said the moment he caught up, and both resumed their walk. "The parties here must be awesome."

"I wouldn't know," Fang said, opening a door to go inside. "Xanatos doesn't let people up here as often as most people would think. And whenever he did, he made sure we were out for the night. Couldn't have the guests run into us, you know. But other than that, it's all peace, quiet, a fully stocked kitchen, and about five hundred channels on the TV."

"Five hundred channels?" Daniel uttered, looking astonished.

"Knew that would get your attention," Fang said with a grin.

"I'm so gonna love coming by to visit you," Daniel said.

Fang chuckled at that comment, walking down the hall with his nephew. During their walk, Daniel stopped a few times so he'd get a chance to peek at rooms they passed by, with a couple of instances needing for Fang to insist they move along. It did not take long for them to finally arrive at their destination. Fang sighed once, looking down at his nephew and flashing him a thumbs up. Daniel nodded, smiled, and tried to not look nervous as his uncle knocked on the door.

"Mr. Xanatos?" Fang called out as he knocked. A few seconds passed, and there was no response, which prompted Fang to knock once again, a little louder this time.

"Mr. Xanatos," Fang called out once more, and again received no reply.

"Maybe he's out," Daniel suggested. "How about you take a peek?"

Fang nodded, and slowly pushed the door open. He peeked into the room, and groaned in frustration when he noticed it was empty. Opening the door all the way, he entered the spacious office, walking to the desk and leaning a bit over it, resting his hands on the smooth surface while looking at the empty leather chair on the other side of the desk. Daniel followed, resisting the urge to have another look at a great view of the city from the large transparent wall on the other side of the desk. He stepped up beside his uncle and looked up to notice a frustrated frown on the cougar-man's face.

"Of all the nights he had to be out, it just had to be tonight," Fang grumbled, looking down at the boy.

"What if he's in another room of the castle?" Daniel asked. "You know, just taking the night off or something?"

"Maybe," Fang said.

"Want to go look for him?" Daniel asked eagerly.

Fang smirked. It was easy to tell that, by the eagerness in his voice, Daniel wanted to make use of any excuse he could think of to further explore the castle. Putting a hand on his nephew's head, Fang led the boy to the door, opening it and stepping out.

"Okay then, Danny Boy," Fang said. "Tell you what. First up, I'm tired of flying, so I need a rest. Plus, that Chinese takeout your mom brought wasn't filling enough. So, here's what we'll do. I'm going over to the kitchen to grab me a quick bite to eat, and then I'm coming right back here to the office. So, I'm giving you a half hour to explore the place, and then come back to the office."

"Great! And if I run into Mr. Xanatos on the way, I ask him to come see you in his office, right?"

Fang grinned and nodded, patting the boy's back. "Exactly. I know you can somehow tug at his heartstrings enough to make him unable to resist lending a hand to a good uncle looking out for his only nephew."

"Don't worry, no adult can resist the big, begging puppy dog eyes," Daniel said with a chuckle.

"Damn right!" Fang replied with a hearty laugh. "Oh, you might also bump into some blonde guy with glasses, a suit, and a real stiff, stick-up-his-butt attitude. If you run into him first, just make sure to mention that your uncle Fang is in Xanatos's office and really needs to have a business chat with him."

"Got it," Daniel said while nodding.

"That's my boy," Fang said with a grin. "Let's go for it."

Daniel nodded, and then walked away. Fang kept an eye on his nephew until he disappeared around a corner, then he set off down the opposite way Daniel had gone to. He wasn't surprised at still knowing his way around despite being away for so long, as it had been the one place he was most glad to have called home in his entire life. His escape had thrilled him, but he did not feel fully secure out there. As he walked along the familiar halls, he smiled contently, feeling quite positive and looking forward to feeling the most relaxed and secure he could, and calling this place his home once again.

* * *

Brooklyn frowned in frustration as he glided around the same area he had been searching around not long ago. He and the others had been shocked upon hearing the news from Goliath, and had immediately set out in search of the fugitive mutate. It had not been long after they had spread throughout the city that Brooklyn realized, as much as a winged cougar man who could shoot electricity was easy to spot, Manhattan was still an enormous city with countless hiding places, even for someone who could stand out as much as Fang.

"We spent a pretty long time hiding from the whole city right on the top of a police station, after all," he muttered to himself, starting to reluctantly get used to the idea that finding Fang would be extremely difficult.

The red-skinned gargoyle sighed, and continued on his search. He kept a sharp eye out on all his surroundings, peeking down dark alleys and along rooftops. Brooklyn growled, shaking his head. This simply was not working. He was getting very annoyed now. He looked over at the Eyrie, not that far from where he currently was. His eyes opened wide, and he smiled. Immediately, he clicked on his ear-piece and brought the tiny microphone to his beak-like mouth.

"Goliath? Are you there?" Brooklyn said, and quickly heard the clan leader reply.

"Yes, Brooklyn. Are there any news?"

"No," Brooklyn said. "The city's too big and the whole clan won't be enough to search properly. But I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"I'm going back to the castle," Brooklyn explained. "I'll see if I can get Owen to lend us some equipment to help in the search. Some Steel Clan robots could be a big help in this, or anything else we might get our hands on."

"It's a good plan, Brooklyn. Carry on with it right away."

"Got it, over and out," Brooklyn said, shutting off the microphone. He immediately set off towards the castle, hoping that with the added help, they'd get a lucky break in this search.

* * *

"This place is awesome" Daniel said to himself. "Between this and the Labyrinth, it's like a treasure trove."

The boy was having a blast exploring the castle. He took a peek in every room he found open, finding all sorts of things, from bedrooms and bathrooms, to other halls that he did not venture into just yet. He did not want to get lost, after all, as the place was a lot bigger than he imagined, and he did not have that long to check what he could before he had to return to his uncle.

As the inside of the castle was much warmer than the outside, Daniel removed his jacket and tied the sleeves around his waist so he could be hands free. He had arrived at some sort of elegant mess hall, with a desk and elevators. He figured this was the main area one would enter from the lower parts of the building through those elevators.

Daniel decided to continue exploring the place, and moved away. He also noticed how quiet it was, and wondered if everybody was out for the night, having not seen anybody ever since he and his uncle arrived at the place. He sighed, really hoping the trip hadn't been for nothing. He had gotten to see the castle, but he also wanted his uncle to have a safe place to stay as soon as possible.

Figuring he had only about ten minutes or so left to check the place out, Daniel decided that perhaps it would just be better to return to the office where his uncle was waiting. He had walked quite a bit into the castle, but figured he could make his way back with no problem. As he made his way down a hall, he kept taking quick peeks into any open door he saw. At noticing a certain room, the boy stopped and entered it.

"Okay, this one's really out of the ordinary," he muttered as he checked the room. It was different from any other he had seen in the castle. Containing only a comfortable-looking recliner, a sofa-like lounge and a television, the room was even smaller than Daniel's bedroom back home. He thought it more proper to be a broom closet than a television room. He did remember his uncle's comment regarding the large quantity of channels on the television, though, and was curious to check it out when he heard footsteps out in the hall. The boy turned as the footsteps grew closer, thinking that it would be one of the men he was looking for, and was thinking how to best explain his presence there.

The footsteps were almost to the door now, but Daniel was quickly confused upon hearing loud sniffing sounds as well. Seconds later, the boy gasped out loud when not a person, but a creature came into view. The boy had a quick, sudden flashback to when he was five years old and was watching the Ghostbusters movie on television. He remembered being extremely frightened of the demonic dog-like creatures that appeared in the movie, and felt the exact same way as the creature outside the door turned to him after hearing the gasp. As he stared in fear and shock at the blue-skinned monster with glowing white eyes, Daniel slowly stepped back, with the creature approaching him, until he felt his back press against the wall. The boy knew he was trapped, with no way to evade the monster and try to escape due to the small size of the room.

Unable to do anything else, Daniel shut his eyes tight, trembling now, knowing this monster was about to rip him to shreds. Despite having his eyes closed, he could feel as the monster drew closer, until it stood right in front of him. He could now hear and also feel the creature sniffing him, much like a normal dog would. Daring to open his eyes and take a peek, he could see this creature now sniffing his shoes. The child's fear started to dissipate, and then disappeared entirely as the dog creature looked up at him with its tongue hanging out its mouth and what seemed to be a friendly look on its face. It was hard to tell with no irises or pupils, but Daniel could have sworn that the creature seemed to be smiling.

"Um… hey, boy," Daniel said in a low voice. The dog creature barked a few times, a deep, booming bark that startled Daniel momentarily, until it took a couple of steps back. Daniel hesitated for a moment, then knelt down and reached to stroke the dog creature's head. The response was instantaneous, as the creature let out a delighted whimper and pounced on the boy, wildly licking his face.

"Whoa, hey, cut it out!" cried out Daniel, though he laughed as he said it. The creature, despite its appearance, was quite similar, almost identical in behavior to a dog. The licking stopped, but the creature kept whimpering, louder, looking happier as the boy now scratched and rubbed behind both of its fin-like ears.

"When am I going to stop getting these surprises?" Daniel asked himself out loud, as he continued rubbing the creature behind the ears. The boy studied this strange dog-like being more closely, now that he knew it was friendly. It was about the size of a Rottweiler, only bulkier. Its skin was smooth, as Daniel took note of the little horns on its head and the three spikes on its back.

"Uncle Freddy never mentioned anything like you up here," Daniel now spoke to the dog creature. "You look like a gargoyle. Just without the wings, and… oh, no…"

Daniel slowly stood up, looking rather stunned, while the dog creature tilted its head in slight confusion as the boy stopped petting it. He remembered the conversation with Claw after he had first seen the clones in his second visit to the Labyrinth. Claw had explained how the clones had been created by the same mad scientist who had mutated him and the others. How they had been cloned from the DNA of the clan of gargoyles who lived in Manhattan. Daniel remembered seeing images of the gargoyles in the news, when they had allegedly blown up the clock tower atop the police station, but Claw had mentioned that they had been framed, and that they were good friends, that were now back in their original home. Daniel had never gotten to see any of those gargoyles during his visits to the Labyrinth, and looking down at the dog creature, he suddenly remembered even more.

"You," Daniel said, leaning down a little to look closer at the dog being. "I remember now. When I saw the video of those gargoyles on TV, you were there. You were being carried by two of the others. And some of the others look a lot like the clones. So, then…"

Realization suddenly hit Daniel, as he stood again. He looked back at the confused-looking creature, knowing now that it really was a gargoyle. And besides the clones, there was only one group of gargoyles in Manhattan, who were friends with those who inhabited the Labyrinth. He knew his uncle's escape would mean they'd want to make sure to catch him and take him back to his cell, and asking their gargoyle friends for help could only aid that search.

"The gargoyles live here, and by now they have to be searching for Uncle Fred. Oh, man, he's a sitting duck in here!" Daniel exclaimed. He started running, exiting the room and dashing down the hall as fast as he could, and the creature barked and bounded after him. The boy knew he'd be unable to shake it, but he could not worry about that now. He had to warn his uncle, and leave this place at once.

* * *

Looking out at that great view of the city, Fang wondered just how time could move so fast yet seem like it was passing so slow, something quite different as to how time seemed to move so slowly and always seem like it when he was imprisoned. He had returned from the kitchen to Xanatos's office, having downed several sandwiches till he was satisfied, and now simply waited for anyone to come along. Having kept a close eye on a small clock on the desk, Fang noticed that it took him about twenty minutes to grab a bite to eat and return to the office, and had been waiting there for almost ten minutes now. He was getting a little nervous now, wondering just where everybody in this building was. He did not want to believe the chance that he could be so unlucky as to show up precisely when everybody was out.

Taking another glance at the watch, Fang saw that it was nearing midnight. After having been locked up in a cell for so long, he was perfectly willing to wait as long as it took until somebody he could speak to showed up. What worried him was that his nephew should be in bed by now, and yet he was here, first keeping him company, and now wandering around the castle. Fang realized that it had been almost a full half hour since he had allowed Daniel to go explore, and he had given him precisely half an hour to return to the office. It took him only a few seconds to come to a conclusion which made him groan in frustration.

"Eleven year old kid, given free reign to explore a castle on top of a skyscraper, which is the home of the richest man in the city," Fang said to himself, slapping his forehead. "What the hell was I thinking?"

He sighed heavily, resting his forehead onto the smooth, clear surface that overlooked the city. He wondered if his nephew had lost track of time while exploring the castle, or if there had been the slightest possibility that the boy might have run into somebody. If he had, then he would not mind his nephew taking longer than the time Fang had allowed, as it would probably mean good news for him if the child was able to make a convincing case in his mutated uncle's behalf. Fang decided that he'd wait for another fifteen minutes, and if nobody showed up by then, he'd go get his nephew, take him home, and then return. He'd even spend the night if he had to, but would not give up until he could talk to somebody.

A few more minutes passed, in which the mutate simply paced around the room. He felt tempted to turn on that big monitor in the office, and even had the urge to sit on Xanatos's desk chair and prop his feet onto the desk, just to be amused, but ultimately decided against it. He didn't want to jeopardize his chance of living here by being a disrespectful goofball in the office of the owner. Suddenly, he heard footsteps, too heavy to be a child's, and instantly faced the door with a smile. Finally, someone had shown up, and he was ready to explain his situation and expose his proposition as the door opened.

"Owen, are you in here? I need some help with…"

Brooklyn stopped mid-sentence as his eyes met Fang's. Both of them just stood there, their faces clearly expressing the shock of finding each other there. Still, after just one second of stunned silence, both of them reacted, Fang shooting electricity at Brooklyn, and Brooklyn dashing out into the hall where he could not be hit. Both of them snarled, and both were thinking the same thing. They had no idea what the other was doing there, but they knew that this was going to get very ugly.

**To be continued…**

Extra author's note: Before I got to writing this chapter, Fang's real name was revealed in the comics, so at this point I went back and edited all the chapters to fit with it. Thanks for the reviews as well, I hope you readers continue to enjoy this, as long as writer's block doesn't keep me too long from it!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 7: Out Of The Frying Pan… **

**By RemTar85**

A blast of electricity made Brooklyn back away from the open door as he tried to look inside, missing him by inches. He only had a one second glance, though one second was all he needed to scope out the situation. The mutate in the office was currently standing behind the desk, arms raised, ready to blast the gargoyle should he try to come inside. Brooklyn frowned, standing with his back to the wall, only inches from the door.

"Don't you dare come in here, or so help me, I'll fry you to a crisp!" Fang cried out, the anger in his voice quite evident.

"Yeah, I understood the message on the first blast," Brooklyn replied in a deadpan tone. "Why are you here, Fang?"

"None of your damned business! And what the hell are you doing here?"

Brooklyn scoffed and shook his head. "I live here, genius," he said mockingly.

"WHAT?!" Fang screamed in disbelief.

"Oh, so nobody told you? It figures. Well, just so you know, we moved back here many months ago," Brooklyn said.

"Oh, gimme a goddamn break!" Fang shouted out, more to himself than to Brooklyn.

"Why did you do it, Fang?" Brooklyn asked. "Why did you do that to Derek?"

It was Fang's turn to scoff, sounding smug as he explained. "He had it coming. He's had it coming ever since he locked me up, and damn did it feel good to finally get some payback! So, how's he doing?"

"He might be in a damn coma, Fang!" Brooklyn shouted, angered at how casual Fang sounded when speaking of his reasoning for the savage attack. "You're not getting away with this. You're going back in your cell, and this time we're throwing away the key."

"You're gonna have to catch me first," Fang said, sitting down in the desk's chair, his aim never wavering. "I finally managed to get out of that damn prison, and I'm sure as hell not about to go back."

"You're cornered in there. The glass behind you is bulletproof, you'll never be able to shatter it, no matter how much you blast at it. There's no way out for you, except through this door."

"And you can't come in here without me zapping you like a bug," Fang said, getting comfortable in the leather chair. "Looks like we got ourselves a stalemate here. But unlike you, I don't turn to stone when the sun comes up."

"So, your big plan is to sit there for hours until dawn comes?" Brooklyn asked.

"If I have to," Fang replied. "I sat in a cell for this long, I got patience to spare."

"Good point, but there's more than one way to skin a cat," Brooklyn said, reaching to his ear and activating his communicator. "Goliath, it's Brooklyn. I found Fang, he's here at the castle and I got him cornered in Xanatos's office. Contact the others and come here now!"

Fang instantly panicked. He had no idea if Brooklyn was bluffing or not, but he would rather be safe than sorry, knowing that he'd never escape if he had to deal with the whole clan. He got out from behind the desk and rushed to the door, electricity crackling in his hands, ready to blast at the gargoyle. The very moment he made it to the door, though, the mutate felt a lot of pain on his face, as it was smacked hard by Brooklyn's powerful tail. Fang stumbled back, clutching his snout, and he was then tackled hard to the floor by Brooklyn. Both gargoyle and mutate were now rolling along the floor, trading blows, each trying to overpower the other.

"Get… off… me!" Fang cried out, grabbing at Brooklyn's arms and sending a strong jolt of electricity into the gargoyle. Brooklyn screamed in pain, and Fang was able to push him off of him.

Growling once more, Fang stood and rushed Brooklyn, but the gargoyle was ready. He used his legs and Fang's momentum to flip the mutate over him and against the wall. Fang grunted as he slumped to the floor after impact, and now Brooklyn charged towards his fallen opponent. Noticing this, Fang raised both hands and started shooting electric blasts at Brooklyn, who dodged the first few before running towards the desk and leaping to take cover behind it.

Fang was panting in rage now, standing up and shooting more electricity. "Come on out here, you freak!" he screamed, his blasts missing the gargoyle, blowing chunks off of the expensive wooden desk, others hitting the glass behind the desk to no effect.

"Oh, look who's talking about freaks, pussycat," Brooklyn replied with a smirk. The gargoyle heard Fang snarl in a fury and charge at the desk, to which Brooklyn put a stop to by grabbing the desk chair, standing quickly and throwing it at the advancing mutate with all his might. The chair hit its mark, slamming right onto Fang, sending him crashing down to the floor, while Brooklyn shook his head in disbelief. "Jalapeña, this idiot never learns," he muttered to himself.

Brooklyn leaped over the desk and onto Fang, who was dazed and groaning, trying to get up. Grabbing the front of Fang's sleeveless t-shirt, Brooklyn dragged him to his feet and slammed him hard against a wall, where he proceeded to punch the mutate in the face and stomach several times. Try as he might, Fang could not get Brooklyn away from him, as the gargoyle was quick to swat Fang's arms out of the way every time he bought them up to zap his assailant, and the barrage of punches continued. The tide of the battle had turned considerably in the gargoyle's favor, with Fang finally doubling over and falling to his knees after an especially fierce blow to his gut.

Brooklyn panted as he looked at Fang, who clutched his stomach and struggled to regain his breath. He looked stern and determined as he grabbed Fang by his t-shirt once more and dragged him up. "Give it up, Fang. The others will be here soon, and we're making sure to lock you up so deep that you'll never hurt anyone again."

Fang finally looked at Brooklyn, slowly regaining his breath, panting heavily as everything started registering in his mind. His ego had been bruised yet again, as Brooklyn had once more defeated him. Fang could not get over the idea that for the second time, Brooklyn would be responsible for having him locked up. All of the other gargoyles were on their way there for him, to make sure he would be delivered back to his cell. His freedom was about to end forever after only a few hours of having regained it. He would never see the outside of that cell again.

Fang's thoughts of despair ended there, as they turned into an anger that completely consumed him. His eyes flashed a furiously bright white, just like Brooklyn's. The mutate suddenly snarled, and with lightning fast movements, grabbed Brooklyn by the head and delivered a fierce headbutt to the gargoyle. Taken by surprise, Brooklyn could not avoid the attack, and the blow to the head left him dazed, stumbling back and away from the enraged mutate. The strength of the blow was such that it cut Fang, right above his left eyebrow. Blood now trickled down his face, falling into his left eye, but that did not stop him.

"I'M NEVER GOING BACK THERE!" Fang screamed at the top of his lungs, raising both hands and firing a powerful blast of lightning at Brooklyn. Despite being dazed by the blow to the head, Brooklyn was able to duck in time and dodge the electric bolt, which ended up blasting the large monitor on the opposite wall to pieces.

Brooklyn stood back up, slightly recuperated from his daze, and turned to face Fang. The mutate was bruised, battered, and the blood trickling into his left eye did not allow him to see out of it, but all that did not matter now. The cougar-man was acting on pure rage and adrenalin, and before he could defend himself, Brooklyn was struck in the stomach as Fang rushed him surprisingly fast. Now it was the gargoyle who had doubled over and clutched his stomach as his breath was knocked out of him, but the assault did not stop there. A snarling Fang then punched Brooklyn on the side of his head, sending him to the floor. Grabbing Brooklyn by the hair, he pulled him back up, to which the gargoyle responded by swiping at the mutate.

Fang felt a sharp pain, watching as Brooklyn's claws connected with the right side of his lower torso, making him let go of Brooklyn's hair. Fang's shirt got ripped by the swipe, three claw marks on it, and blood now trickled down Fang's side out of three cuts. The mutate was stunned for only a second, as the pain only increased his animalistic fury. He roared now, and he brandished his own claws, swiping at Brooklyn. The gargoyle managed to dodge the first few attacks, but Fang finally connected, cutting Brooklyn across his chest. The gargoyle cried out in pain as blood trickled from four cuts, his blood darker in color than his skin.

The momentum now on his side, Fang grabbed Brooklyn by the neck and smashed the back of his head on a wall. He repeated this two more times, the wall cracking with every blow, and now Fang used his free hand to grab Brooklyn by his loincloth. Lifting the gargoyle above his head, the cougar-man roared once more, as he smashed Brooklyn onto Xanatos's desk. The wooden structure cracked and broke in half as the gargoyle was smashed on its surface. Fang panted, a low snarl escaping him with every breath he took, as he watched his downed opponent, who lied amidst the broken desk, clearly unconscious. A wild rush of adrenalin still coursed through Fang, however, and it urged the mutate to continue his savage assault. The smell of blood was abundant in the air, flooding Fang's nostrils, making him brandish his claws again as he slowly approached Brooklyn. He would make sure that the gargoyle would never bother him again.

* * *

A small ping sound echoed through the main hall as the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, Owen Burnett took a deep breath of relief. He had just finished closing a deal with an important company from Japan. It had taken hours to finally come to an agreement, but he was pleased with his work. Being David Xanatos's right hand man meant he had to sometimes take care of such important business like the one he had just tended to, especially when his boss was taking a well deserved two week vacation with his wife and child in Europe.

Checking on his wristwatch, Owen saw that it was now past midnight. He had been awake since early morning, with little rest and a lot of work. Now that he had managed to close the deal with that company, he was looking forward to a relaxing shower and a long sleep. As he walked down a hall towards his quarters, he suddenly heard footsteps. Someone was running down an adjacent hallway. Owen sighed, going out of his way to intercept the runner. It had not been that long when Lexington and Bronx had broken an invaluable vase while running around the castle, giving rides to young Alexander Xanatos, and Owen was not in the mood to clean up more broken, irreplaceable objects.

As he reached the next hall, Owen saw Bronx dash by, but was certainly not expecting to see an unknown child in the gargoyle beast's company. The brown-haired boy was running so quickly alongside Bronx that he did not notice the man standing there. Owen thought back as to how many trespassers there had been on the castle ever since it was settled atop the Eyrie building, but never one so young. Owen set to follow them, wanting an explanation from the boy, when a beeping sound caught his attention. He set his briefcase down, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device, which he quickly checked. The small screen indicated a security breach, specifically in Mr. Xanatos's office.

Most men would have cursed out loud, but Owen remained stoic and level-headed as always. It seemed that the boy that ran past him was not the only intruder, and when comparing a child to someone who had activated the silent alarm in Mr. Xanatos's office, he did not have to even think about it. Immediately he grabbed his suitcase and ran towards the office. It took him only a few moments to get there, but he could hear sounds of a scuffle from quite the distance. He approached the door quickly but carefully, and his eyes opened wide at what he saw. The office had been the place of what seemed to have been quite a battle between Brooklyn and the mutate known as Fang. The place was wrecked, and the mutate was looming over the fallen gargoyle, clawed hands raising, ready to deliver a finishing blow.

Owen was quick to act. He stepped into the room and threw his briefcase at the mutate, hitting him on the back of the head. Fang turned to the door, snarling, only to be met with the sight of a blonde, bespectacled man in a business suit run towards him and deliver a flying kick to the cougar-man's face. Fang fell back against the glass wall, and Owen quickly checked on Brooklyn, feeling his neck for a pulse. As soon as he had made sure that Brooklyn was okay, Owen turned his attention to Fang, and barely managed to dodge a charging cougar-man. Both were quick to stand, and Fang threw a punch, which Owen swiftly dodged and countered with a kick to his side, right where the injuries from Brooklyn's claws were. Fang screamed in pain, but was silenced quickly as Owen threw a punch with his stone hand, connecting heavily in Fang's stomach and knocking the wind out of him.

Despite being bigger, having enhanced strength and the ability to shoot electricity, Fang was not a fighter. His idea of fighting was simply to throw punches and hope to hit. Owen, an accomplished martial artist, was fully aware of this, and he was definitely going to exploit that advantage. Clutching his stomach and struggling to catch his breath, Fang charged Owen again, throwing several punches and swiping with his claws, but could not land a single hit, for his new opponent dodged them all with practiced ease. Owen counterattacked again, kicking the back of one of Fang's knees, making the mutate lose balance, and followed with an elbow directed to Fang's face, connecting on his left eye.

Fang fell to the floor yet again, groaning in pain. The blow dazed him momentarily, his eye now in quite some pain. Already he could not see due to the blood that had gotten into his eye from the still bleeding injury on his brow, and now he was sure to not see anything at all, for that blow had made his eye get swollen shut. As he was getting back to his feet, a small beeping sound took Fang's attention away from the pain. Turning his head, he saw that Owen had taken a small device from his pocket, and he was certain of what it was.

"Securi…"

Owen was unable to finish speaking, as a bolt of electricity grazed him on his right shoulder. He grunted in pain, dropping the communicator. Having one eye swollen shut, Fang had difficulty aiming, and was frustrated when his attack did not connect properly. He was about to shoot again, but Owen had recovered quickly, and rushed Fang, ready to take the mutate down. The man was upon the mutate, fist raised, and Fang instinctively brought his hands up as though to shield himself. Owen's stone fist was about to connect with Fang's face, and then he flew back, for he had not expected Fang to suddenly let loose an electric bolt right when Owen was up close. He hit the floor, grunting in pain, slightly dazed, but still on the alert. He got up quickly, not wanting to give his opponent even the slimmest chance to get the upper hand on him.

Turning back to the mutate, Owen could only gasp. In the few seconds it had taken him to get up, Fang had picked up Brooklyn and flung the unconscious gargoyle at him. It all happened too quickly, and Owen was unable to dodge, getting hit hard. His glasses were knocked off as he fell to the floor, a fainted Brooklyn on top of him. Though he had the breath knocked out of him, Owen was not about to give in, and immediately tried to move Brooklyn off of him so he could get back on the fight. Fang was not going to have any of that, however, as he rushed over, grabbed Owen's arms and let loose with his electricity.

Fang put all he had into making sure the blonde man would not get back up, and he did not stop the flow of electricity until Owen's scream of pain ended. With both his opponents now unconscious, Fang sighed and fell to his knees, panting slowly, feeling exhausted. He knew he had no time to rest, however, as he remembered Brooklyn calling for his clan and Owen attempting to contact security. It was only a matter of time before someone would show, and he had to get out of there. Getting back to his feet, Fang winced after the first couple of steps, the bleeding injuries on his side stinging in pain, but he bit through it and got going. He was almost to the door when he stopped and looked back at Owen.

"Hold on a second," he muttered to himself, making his way back to Owen and kneeling again. Pushing Brooklyn off of Owen, Fang began searching the inner pockets of Owen's suit. It took him only a few seconds to find a leather wallet, and he quickly went through it. It had the typical things like credit cards and driver's license, and Fang grinned when he came upon quite a number of twenty dollar bills, a few tens and fives and a single one dollar bill. He counted it quickly and came to a total of two hundred and thirty-six dollars.

"Credit cards not enough, Burnett? Ah, well, to the victor goes the spoils," Fang told the unconscious man, not really expecting a reply. Taking every single bill in the wallet, Fang left it next to Owen. He then took the one dollar bill from the stack and casually put it in one of Owen's pockets. "There you go. Buy yourself a personality, Burnett. It'll do you better than a stone fist," Fang said, shaking his head. "Where the hell does one get a stone fist, anyway?"

With a nice amount of money now in his possession, Fang got back to his feet and quickly left the room, clutching his bleeding side, knowing he had little time to make a clean getaway. He was quite frustrated that his plan to make himself a home in the castle had turned out to be a disaster. Still, he figured that with the money he had taken from Owen and a second successful escape in one night, it would not be a complete loss. He walked quickly, finally coming across the doors to the courtyard. As he stepped out into the cool evening air, his good eye suddenly went wide and he froze on the spot.

"Daniel!" he gasped, having completely forgotten about his nephew. He groaned in frustration and made his way back into the halls of the castle in search of the boy. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!"

* * *

"I need to sit down," Daniel said, gasping for breath.

Pressing against a wall, Daniel slid down to the floor and tried to catch his breath. He had been running for a while in search of David Xanatos's office. He realized that, in his haste to get to his uncle, he had gotten completely lost in the castle's seemingly endless hallways. A light grumbling sound got the worried child's attention, and he looked to his side to see the dog-like gargoyle looking at him with curiosity. Daniel reached to pet the gargoyle, who had not left his side since they had met.

Despite his current situation, Daniel chuckled. He had never owned a pet, and like any child with a dog that follows him, Daniel rather wanted to take him home. "You'd make an awesome pet, that's for sure," Daniel said, petting the pleased-looking gargoyle a little more. After a few more seconds, he stopped petting the beast and got back to his feet.

"Got to find Uncle Fred," he said, more to himself than to his companion. He began to jog rather than run down the hall, figuring he'd get tired less quickly this way. The gargoyle stayed at his side, as Daniel continued his search. He had not gone far when the dog-like beast suddenly started to growl, baring its sharp teeth. The boy gasped, startled by his companion's sudden change of mood. Before Daniel had any chance to wonder what had triggered such behavior, the gargoyle started to bark and then ran down the hall, turning a corner.

A loud yell was heard, then the sound of electricity, followed by a quick yelp. Daniel ran to the source of the sound, and after rounding the corner, came upon the sight of the gargoyle-dog, unconscious at the feet of his mutated uncle. He froze where he was, though, eyes going wide at the sight of the injured cougar-man.

"Daniel!" Fang growled upon setting sights on his shocked nephew. "Where the hell where you?"

"I got lost," Daniel replied in a low voice, involuntarily wincing at his uncle's angry tone of voice. "What happened to you?"

"Some stupid gargoyle and Xanatos's right hand man jumped me," Fang answered with a low growl. "Somehow I managed to come out on top right after getting my ass kicked. I'm lucky this stupid mutt didn't get me."

Daniel looked at the gargoyle. Though it was clearly unconscious, Daniel was relieved to see that it was breathing normally. The boy then took one of his uncle's hands and yanked on it. "Uncle, we have to go. The gargoyles, they…"

"They live here again, I know," Fang said, pointing at his swollen eye. "Found that out the hard way. And yes, we have to go before the rest get here. The one I was fighting called for back- up, and they'll be here any second."

Daniel nodded, and without another word, they both set down the way Fang had come. Daniel looked back, hoping the dog-like gargoyle would recover soon from the shock it had received, and then quickly followed his uncle. Soon enough, they came upon an exit to the courtyard. Daniel stepped out, but was stopped suddenly by his uncle grabbing him by the back of his shirt and yanking him back.

"Hey!" Daniel exclaimed, being quickly shushed by his uncle. Fang kept the door open just enough for them to peek out, and Daniel noticed why his uncle had stopped him. A number of winged creatures were coming from the skies, landing onto the courtyard. Daniel counted six of them, but most prominent among them all was Claw. "It's them. Claw's gonna know it was me who let you loose. Oh, gosh, we're so dead."

"Not just yet," Fang said in a low voice, grabbing his nephew by the arm and moving back into the castle's hallways. "I think I got a way we can leave. But I'll need you to be a good kid and follow my lead, no matter what happens."

Daniel nodded, rushing to keep up with his uncle. "Okay, Uncle Fred. I'll do anything I can to help out."

* * *

Goliath, his clan, and Claw were instantly on the move as soon as they set foot on the courtyard. All six of them entered the castle's hallways and set off running towards Xanatos's office. Arriving quickly, they were shocked to see Brooklyn and Owen Burnett both unconscious in the wrecked office. Immediately, Lexington and Angela went to check on the fallen ones.

"How are they?" Broadway asked.

"Owen's fine, just unconscious," Lexington replied.

"Brooklyn's been slashed across his chest, but his wounds aren't deep," Angela said.

"Fang did this all by himself?" Broadway asked, more to himself than to the others. "He was never this tough."

"He's been locked up for over a year, and he just got out. It figures he'd do anything to stay free," Lexington said.

"Aye, lad, a caged animal is at its most dangerous right after it tastes freedom," Hudson added, and then the group was startled for a second when Brooklyn groaned.

"Somebody got that license plate?" Brooklyn muttered, finally coming to.

"Brooklyn, you're okay!" Angela said.

"Don't feel okay, but at least I got a few good hits on that psycho, so he can't have gone far," Brooklyn said, wincing as he tried to get up.

"Don't get up yet," Goliath told him. "Lexington, stay and help Brooklyn and Owen. The rest of us will search for Fang in the castle."

Everybody nodded, and they all ran out of the office, splitting up to search throughout the whole place. Broadway and Angela went one way, Hudson and Claw took another path, and Goliath went by himself. The leader of the Manhattan Clan was dead set on finding the fugitive mutate before he could slip away. He had promised it to Elisa, and Fang had now injured more of his friends. As he searched through the halls and rooms, Goliath was startled when he came upon an unconscious Bronx. His eyes flashed a bright white of anger. Setting off once more down the hall, Goliath suddenly heard footsteps, followed by a door opening. Running on all fours on the direction of the sound, Goliath came upon a door closing, and bounded towards it. Slamming the door open, almost ripping it off its hinges, Goliath spotted the cougar-man trying to make a run for it.

"FANG!" he bellowed. He was about to attack the mutate when Fang turned around quickly. His injuries did nothing to hide the smirk on Fang's face as Goliath's eyes fell on a bundle in Fang's arms. A human child was being carried by the mutate. A blanket covered the child's upper body, but his legs and sock-covered feet were dangling as Fang held him.

"Evening, Goliath," Fang said casually.

"What is the meaning of this?" Goliath asked him.

"I came by here to ask Xanatos for a place to stay. But, I didn't expect to find you guys living here again," Fang said, his ears catching the sounds of a door opening somewhere else. Footsteps were heard, and Fang looked to one side to see Hudson and a furious-looking Claw charging towards him.

Goliath immediately shouted at them. "Don't attack him! He has a hostage!" The old gargoyle and tiger mutate instantly stopped their charge, and moments later, Broadway and Angela joined the group. All the gargoyles and the tiger-man came together and faced down the slowly retreating Fang.

"So, here we all are, or at least most of us anyway," Fang said. "As I was saying, Goliath, even though I didn't know you were living here again, I figured you'd be looking for me. So, I thought of the best way to keep you guys at bay."

"Kidnapping a child and using him as a shield is your way to keep us at bay?" Angela asked, looking outraged.

"That's low, even for you," a frowning Broadway added.

Goliath stepped forward, but kept a prudent distance from the mutate. "Is the child hurt? How and where did you abduct him? Were you seen?"

"Whoa there, Goliath," Fang said with a chuckle. "What's with the whole interrogation thing? Looks like you've been hanging around Talon's sister a bit too much."

"Just answer the questions, Fang," said Goliath, his voice a threateningly low growl.

Fang's grin faded, turning into a serious frown. "The kid was by himself, nobody saw me take him. So, all you wusses can stop worrying about the normal people thinking that gargoyles now snatch kids up from the streets to eat them or something. And no, he's not hurt. He wasn't cooperating, but a nice little shock knocked the little brat out. Makes things easier for me, and I don't have to put up with so much whining from him."

Claw, looking enraged, bared his teeth and seemed as though he was about to charge at Fang, but Broadway grabbed him by one arm, just in case. Fang kept walking backwards, getting closer to a staircase that led to higher ground. Claw and the gargoyles followed him, but kept a safe distance, fearing what Fang might do if they got too close.

"Fang," Goliath said in a calm voice, "you've never gone to the point of harming children before, and I do not think you capable of such an atrocity. Please, release the child so we may solve this in a civilized manner."

Fang snarled, quickening his pace and almost stumbling on the steps. "Do you think I'm stupid, Goliath? Do you think I don't know what'll happen the second I put this kid down? All of you come at me, kick my ass, take me back to that damn cell and I never see the outside of it for as long as I live. And I'm not about to let that happen!"

"Fang, please, think about what you're doing," Angela pleaded.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, toots," Fang said, reaching the top of the stairs and backing up to the edge of the building. "This kid here is insurance. He's my ticket out of this castle and away from you. So, me and my little friend here are going to fly away, and you will stay away from us."

"How would we know ye would nae harm the lad after you've left?" Hudson asked.

"Because, like Goliath pointed out, I'm not some damn monster," Fang growled. "As much as they annoy me, I'm not in the habit of hurting kids, much less killing them. But what happens if you jerks follow me? I more than likely end up panicking and it would very probably end up with the kid getting hurt, anything from getting caught in the middle of a fight or even slipping from my grip and falling to his death in the middle of a busy street."

Fang paused for a second, as the group looked outraged at his examples of what could happen to the child, but he quickly resumed. "Look, nobody wants the kid to get hurt, and I'd rather not have that kind of thing in my conscience. Besides, I'm smart enough to know that, since I look like a gargoyle, I don't want to make the whole gargoyle situation in this city worse than it already is, which is exactly what would happen if this kid got hurt. I already got you guys on my tail, I don't need those Quarrymen nutjobs and every gargoyle hater in the city hunting me down, too."

"He kind of makes a good point," Broadway said, hoping to somehow appease Fang.

"You're damn right I do," Fang said with a nod. "So, here's what we're gonna do. You guys won't follow me, and I'll wake the kid up, take him near a police station and letting him go there so someone can take him home. I keep my freedom, the kid goes back home, everybody happy. So, do we have a deal?"

The gargoyles looked at one another, all looking concerned and hesitant. Claw was the exception, though, his furious glare never changing. Finally, Goliath turned to Fang and nodded. "Very well, Fang. We will not follow you. And I do hope you keep your promise."

Fang said nothing, but nodded at Goliath. He took his hand from underneath the blanket, and then gripped the covered child firmly with both arms. Extending his wings, the mutate leaped back, turned in midair and descended rapidly. The gargoyles and Claw moved to the edge of the building, watching as Fang went lower and eventually disappeared amidst the many buildings.

"That didn't go well, at all," Broadway muttered with a heavy voice.

"What can we do now?" Angela asked in concern.

Goliath growled in frustration and anger. "Unfortunately, we must keep our word and not follow him. Fang is currently in an agitated state of mind, willing to do anything to keep his freedom, and I don't want to risk him harming the child."

"So, the only thing left to do is wait and hope for the best," Hudson said. "Let's go check on Brooklyn and the others. Then, later, we can check the news on the television, or ask Elisa for anything regarding any missing children."

The group nodded in agreement. All but Claw, that is. The gargoyles saw their friend still looking in the direction Fang had fled. The tiger-man was one of the gentlest people they had known, and to see the furious, almost savage expression in his face was unnerving. It was clear to all that Claw was taking this far worse than anyone, and they wondered how this would affect him in the long run, especially if Fang was not caught before he did anything worse than putting a child in danger.

As the others made their way into the castle, Goliath walked over to the mutate and put a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention. "I know how you feel, Claw. I wish I could go after him and stop him, but we cannot risk that child's safety any more than Fang already has. I really don't believe he'd be so cruel, but should he really cross theat line, I assure you we will have no mercy on him."

Claw took a deep breath, looked back at Goliath and nodded. They turned and followed the others into the castle, the feeling of dread heavy in them.

* * *

As soon as they were a fair distance from the castle, Fang had taken the blanket off of his nephew and tossed it onto a rooftop. Keeping a fair grip on his sneakers, Daniel had his arms around his uncle's neck, looking up at the sky from over his shoulder, following Fang's instructions and keeping a lookout, making sure they were not being followed. The boy had to reassure his agitated uncle several times that they were not being followed, and eventually Fang felt secure enough about it, setting for Daniel's home quickly afterwards.

Having one eye swollen shut and various injuries, Fang found it a little difficult to fly, and it took him longer than usual to get to their destination. Upon finally arriving at the apartment building, Fang landed as gently as he could on the roof, but still gritted his teeth in pain from his still fresh injuries. Daniel led the way down the emergency staircase, thankful that it was late and most tenants were sleeping, so they could go down quickly and unseen. As usual, his uncle had a rather difficult time going through the window, and had to keep himself from crying out in pain as he fell to the floor and right on top of the open cuts on his side.

"Wait here, Uncle Fred, I'll go get something to help you out," Daniel said as he entered his room, and immediately went to the door, opening it slowly and carefully. He took one look at his mother's bedroom, and was relieved to see the door closed. Stepping out of his room, the boy tiptoed his way into the kitchen, the light that came in through the windows enough to illuminate his way. He made his way to the refrigerator, and as he reached for it, he gasped out loud when he heard a sudden sound nearby.

"What the fuck you doin' up?" a slurred voice came from the living room. Daniel shut his eyes tightly for a moment and cursed under his breath, then turned to face his stepfather. Richard Parks was lying on the sofa, fully dressed, bathed in moonlight that filtered in from the window on the opposite wall.

"Just getting something from the fridge, sir. That's all," Daniel said in a low voice.

The stocky-built, red-haired man straightened up slightly on the sofa, staring at the boy with a scowl, and it was blatantly obvious how drunk he was. "This late? And why the fuck you all dressed up anyway? You running away?"

"No, sir. I… I fell asleep with my clothes on, and got up just now."

"Damn shame, then," Richard said, lying back down and closing his eyes. "Would've been nice if you'd run off. Always locked in yer damn room, doin' nothin', wastin' money on those stupid books. Jus' go back to yer room and stop botherin'."

Daniel frowned as his stepfather went back to sleeping on the sofa. He took a deep breath and opened up the fridge door, as well as the freezer. Using the light from the refrigerator, Daniel searched amidst the frozen foods until he found what he was looking for. Closing the doors, the boy headed back to his bedroom, finding his uncle now sitting next to his bed. Daniel knew, from the scowl in his mutated uncle's face, that Fang had heard what had just happened.

"Put this steak on your eye, Uncle. I'll be right back," Daniel said, handing Fang a frozen slab of meat, which he immediately held up and pressed gently on his swollen eye.

Daniel quickly left the room and headed towards the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Taking advantage of his nephew's absence, Fang reached under the mattress and pulled out the little bag of money he had kept hidden. He opened it and inside he put the money he had taken from Owen Burnett. He stuffed the little bag on the back of his shorts, then looked at the door as Daniel left the bathroom and returned to the room moments later, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Sorry about that, I had to wash my hands after touching that meat," Daniel explained in a low voice, turning on the light and taking off his jacket. "I brought the first aid kit."

"Thanks, kiddo," Fang said with a sigh, watching his nephew open the kit and sort through the contents. "So, that's your stepfather, huh?"

"Yeah, that's him," Daniel said, taking some gauze and applying a disinfectant ointment on it.

Fang removed the steak from his eye momentarily and leaned forward, exposing the cut above his eye, and grunting under his breath as he felt that burning sting when Daniel applied the ointment on the cut. "I won't even ask what your mother saw in him. Carmen always had bad taste in men. No offense to you, though, her being your mom and all."

"None taken. My dad's your brother, and look how he turned out," Daniel said with a shrug, making sure to fully clean his uncle's cut and wipe off all the blood.

"Is he always such an asshole?" Fang asked.

"Yeah, he is. The only times he's tolerable is when he's not here. Which, especially lately, tends to be pretty often. Thank goodness for that."

"And he makes you call him 'sir' to boot?" Fang asked in a low growl as Daniel set the used piece of gauze aside.

"Yes," Daniel replied. "He can't stand me. You pretty much heard him say so back there."

Fang frowned and reached to pat his nephew's shoulder. "I really hope he's never even tried to hit you, Danny. Cause if he has, I'll gut the bastard like a fish."

"He's never hit me," Daniel assured his uncle. "I'm smart enough to stay out of his way. If I avoid him, I don't get in trouble." The boy then took some clean gauze and pressed it on the wound on the mutate's brow. He used some of the white tape from the kit to keep it on his uncle's forehead and stop the blood flow.

"Do you really have to put tape on me to hold those?" Fang asked. "I don't want my fur getting ripped off when we pull those out."

Daniel rolled his eyes, preparing more ointment on gauze as Fang pressed the steak back on his eye while being careful with the bandage on his brow. "Do you want to stop bleeding? I don't have any rope or anything like that, so we have to keep those on you with the tape. We just have to be careful when we pull them out, that's all," Daniel said, yawning afterwards. He shook his head a little, then lifted his uncle's shirt and started dabbing at the bleeding injuries from the gargoyle's claws. This time, Fang's reaction was more intense, as he snarled, squirmed and pounded on one of his thighs with his free hand, so he would not pound on the wall or floor and make unnecessary noise.

"That fucking burns!" he whined in as low a voice he could muster, finding it difficult to not cry out louder. "Why the hell do they make it so the remedy's worse than the damn injury?"

"Gosh, Uncle, that gargoyle seriously did a job on you," Daniel said, waiting for his uncle to get used to the stinging burn so he may continue to dab at the cuts. "These cuts are pretty deep."

Fang smiled after hearing that, chuckling slightly as he gritted his teeth. "Guess the one satisfaction I get from it is that I won the fight."

Daniel looked at his uncle and smiled a bit, then he started to tape clean gauze to the injuries, finding it a little difficult due to there being three cuts spaced rather closely together. "I'm glad you feel positive about that, Uncle Fred, but there's a difference there," Daniel said, getting more gauze. "From what Claw's told me about gargoyles, that stone sleep of theirs heals them fully. So in less than a day, he's going to be completely healed. And I don't know how to do stitches, so I can't close up those wounds on you."

"Hey, don't worry about me, Danny Boy!" Fang said with a confident smile. "I'm a pretty quick healer. Comes with the whole mutated DNA gig. I'll be okay soon."

"Okay, if you say so," Daniel said, looking a little relieved now. He kept silent afterwards and continued to work on fully covering the cuts with clean gauze. After a few minutes, he was finally done, sitting back and putting the first aid kit back in order. "There, that'll do."

Fang nodded, looking down at the gauze and tape on his side, then smirked at his nephew. "Thanks, kiddo. This is a pretty good patching job. Where'd you get the medical credentials, Doctor Sykes?"

"They showed me basic first aid at school," Daniel replied with a smile. "We have to do something about your shirt, though. I don't think a shirt that's torn up and soaked in blood will do you much good."

Fang looked down, finally taking in the sorry state of his shirt. He frowned, then grabbed it with both hands and ripped it off of himself, tossing the remains aside. "There goes my only one. Now I just have to find a clothing store for sci-fi rejects. Just like I'll have to find a new home after the absolute freaking disaster my plan was."

Daniel looked forlorn as he witnessed his uncle looking frustrated and angry. "I'm really sorry it didn't work out for you, Uncle Fred. And I'm sorry for messing things up. If I hadn't gone wandering around, you wouldn't have gotten attacked."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Danny," Fang said. "It's not like you could've predicted the gargoyles being up there, so don't blame yourself."

"But now you can't live in the castle, and Claw and the gargoyles now have it in their heads that you're going around, kidnapping kids and using them as human shields," Daniel said in a low voice, yawning again.

Fang shrugged and smirked. "Hey, they've been thinking I'm a piece of shit for a long time now, so there's not much of a change there. As for where I'll live now, I'll find a way to solve it somehow. Don't you worry about your uncle, kiddo."

Daniel sighed softly, but then slowly smiled. Standing up, he walked to his bedroom door and locked it. He then headed to his closet, which he opened and started rummaging through the things there. Moments later, he came out with several blankets and a pillow, and immediately began to set up a makeshift sleeping area on the floor, next to his bed.

"You're injured, and they're looking for you to lock you up again," Daniel said as he set the folded blankets on the floor, trying his best to make them as comfortable as possible. "So, until you can manage, you're staying here with me, Uncle Fred."

Fang looked surprised at this, smiling a little. "Hey, I appreciate the offer, little buddy. But, isn't it kinda risky? What if your mom or that drunken douchebag try coming in here?"

"He never comes into my room," Daniel answered. "He can't stand me, remember? So we stay out of each other's way. And my mom doesn't really come into my room anymore, either. And even if she tried, my door will still be locked, so at least it gives you a moment to hide in the closet. You're big, but there's enough space for you to fit anyway. And in regards to food, it's like you say. We'll find a way to solve it somehow."

Fang simply stared at his nephew for a moment, and chuckled afterwards. "First you go all out with the escape plan when you hand me the blanket, and now hiding me in your own room. I'm pretty impressed, Danny Boy, being all smart and resourceful like your deal ol' Uncle Fang. Where's that shy, quiet little kid I always took care of?"

"He realized that he has to grow up and take care of his uncle as much as his uncle has taken care of him," Daniel replied with a smile.

Fang chuckled, reaching forward and pulling his nephew in a one-armed hug. "You're a great kid, Danny Boy. Shame my stupid brother never realized that."

"Yeah, it's a bummer that he walked out on us," Daniel said, hugging his uncle's torso while carefully avoiding the wounded area. "But you were there while he wasn't, and now you're here again. You've been more of a dad than he ever could be. I wish you were my dad, actually."

Fang remained quiet for a few moments, letting his nephew's words sink in. He sighed, smiled and patted the child's back. "That's about the most flattering thing I've heard in ages. Thanks, kiddo. You'd be a great son."

"And thanks to you too, Uncle," Daniel said, yawning yet again. As he broke the hug and backed up a bit, Daniel's yawn ended and he noticed Fang yawning as well, which made the child chuckle. "Hey, so yawns really are contagious."

"Uh-huh," Fang muttered, removing the steak from his now slightly less swollen eye. "And that's the sign that you need to go to sleep. You've been yawning non-stop since we got here, it's way past your bedtime. Let's both get some sleep and tomorrow we can talk better about what we can do with this whole me living here thing."

"Yeah, sleep sounds great right now," Daniel said, standing up and taking the steak from his uncle's hands. "I'll take this back."

Fang nodded and watched his nephew leave the room. As he heard the boy put the steak back in the freezer and immediately head to the bathroom to wash his hands, the cougar-man started to settle on the blankets that had been set down for him. He grunted as he felt some pain from the injuries on his side, so he was careful as he lied down on his back. He sighed as he set his head on the pillow, finally settled down, thinking back to past fights with Talon and the gargoyles. He had gotten pretty banged up, but he had never been injured by deep clawing. He had no idea how quickly those kinds of wounds would heal, and he hoped it would be soon.

Daniel returned from the bathroom quickly afterwards, shutting and locking the door. He sat on his bed, kicked off his shoes, and then lied down, too tired to even bother changing into his pajamas. Fang grunted once again as he got up a bit, reached up to the bed and patted one of his nephew's arms.

"Good night, kiddo," Fang whispered out, lying back down again.

"Good night, Uncle," Daniel muttered, falling asleep a few minutes later.

Fang stayed awake a while longer, thinking about the events of the entire evening. He had two close escapes in just one night, one of them while holding his own nephew as a willing hostage while being faced by most of the Manhattan Clan along with Claw. He was quite beaten up, and yet had managed to beat Owen Burnett, Brooklyn and give a severe beating to Talon. He felt quite good at having taken some revenge on some of the people he hated most.

Still, Fang knew he was not out of the woods yet. The gargoyles were now bound to look for him harder than ever. He had managed to get himself a place to stay with his nephew, but he knew it was not the safest place to be. Not when there were two adults living there as well, and not when Claw knew that Daniel lived there and could drop by at any time. The cougar mutate knew that he had many problems to face if he wanted to be completely free and safe, but he decided it would be better to think of a way to solve those problems when he was well-rested. Moments later, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 8: The Rest of the Evening**

**By RemTar85**

"He got away?" Elisa asked with disappointment in her voice, as she spoke to Goliath in her communicator. She was standing in a corner, near the main entrance doors to the Labyrinth. Many of the residents had gone to sleep, though some still mingled around.

"Unfortunately, yes," Goliath replied, his displeasure evident. "Before he came to the castle, he took a child hostage and brought him here. We could not risk harming the child, so we let Fang go. He promised he would release the boy near the police precinct as soon as he felt safe, but we're still quite worried. We wondered if you could check any recent happenings in regard of missing or kidnapped children. Unfortunately, the boy was unconscious and Fang had him covered with a blanket, so we can't give a physical description."

"Well, Doctor Sato went home a little while ago," Elisa said. "He needs some rest, but he asked us to call him if Derek gets better. I'll stay here for a little while longer, but I'll check everything I can on missing children as soon as I leave the Labyrinth. Hopefully I can find that boy before he mentions something about a gargoyle kidnapping him. You guys don't need any more bad press, and Fang going around and acting like a monster is bound to do just that."

"We hope to capture him before he causes any more trouble," Goliath added. "Claw is on his way to the Labyrinth. I will talk to you later, Elisa."

"Okay. Take care, big guy."

Elisa sighed softly as she turned her communicator off. She was astounded upon hearing that Fang had made the mistake of going to Castle Wyvern, only to escape once more. The fact that he had kidnapped a child and used him as a shield to escape from Goliath and the others disturbed Elisa, especially after what Fang had done to her brother. She shuddered to think how far he'd be capable to go to keep his freedom, and she was now more determined than ever to make sure he was taken down before he could hurt anybody else.

"Hey, I already told you, Maggie! I didn't do anything!"

"Don't lie to me, Tim! Nobody else could have done it!"

Elisa was startled by the sudden shouts. She turned and followed the voices to the door of the infirmary area, to find a furious Maggie confronting a blond man in his early twenties. Al was in between the both of them, trying to hold Maggie back, but finding it difficult. Elisa was shocked, as she had never seen Maggie in such a state.

"What's going on here?" Elisa asked as she joined the group.

"He's the one who helped Fang escape!" Maggie shouted, pointing accusingly at the startled man.

"No, I didn't!" Tim retaliated.

"Why do you accuse him, Maggie?" Elisa asked.

"Because he's Fang's only friend down here! Derek's state is as much his fault as it is Fang's!" Maggie snarled. She shook herself off of Al's grip, but backed away a bit, though never taking her eyes off of Tim.

"I'm sorry to say it, Tim, but Maggie has a point," Al said with a sigh. "You're the obvious choice for a suspect. We didn't even see you around all night till now."

Tim looked distressed, his voice coming out in a nervous high pitch. "You think I don't know that? I know it all points at me, but I swear I didn't do it! I mean, after all this time, why would I do it now? Especially after I've told you before how he's asked me to help him escape and I refused! I know you guys never liked me being friends with him, but I'm not stupid to go and let him loose!"

"Easy there, Tim," Elisa said in a calm voice, for Tim was getting more agitated as he spoke on. "We can solve this without a problem. From what we know, Fang seems to have escaped between seven and nine this evening. Where were you during that time?"

Tim, who was still upset, took a deep breath to try to calm down. "Okay, so I wasn't around during dinner," he said. "I had to leave early, because I got a new job. I started today, and I was working during the time you say Fang escaped. It's at a warehouse by the docks. I can give you the number so you can check, Detective Maza!"

"Best to do it right away, then," Elisa told him. The young man nodded and went quickly to find something to write on. Maggie continued to glare furiously at Tim as he moved away, but seconds later she stopped glaring and went into the infirmary to be with Derek. Al followed her, while Elisa waited for Tim outside the infirmary. She was now worried again, though, for if Tim was telling the truth, then they'd be back at square one, without suspects and no clue as to who helped Fang and where the fugitive mutate could be hiding.

* * *

Brooklyn let out a sigh of relief as Angela was finished cleaning and bandaging the claw injuries on his chest. The two of them were at the castle's infirmary, along with Broadway. Owen was nearby as well, checking himself for any injuries.

"Is it better now, Brooklyn?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, much better," Brooklyn replied with a smile. "Just need a day of sleep and I'll be good as new."

"And Bronx is doing okay, too," Lexington told the others as he walked into the infirmary. "He's with Hudson in the tv room. They're checking on the news, just in case."

"How about you, Owen?" Broadway asked the blond man. "Are you doing okay?"

"Aside from a few minor bruises, I'm fine," Owen replied. "You said that Fang had told you he came to ask Mr. Xanatos to allow him to live here once more?"

"That's what he told us," Broadway said.

"Just as he told us he didn't know we lived here," Angela added. "It's likely he won't risk returning to the castle."

Finished with checking himself, Owen put on the jacket of his suit back on and straightened his tie. "I agree, Angela," he said, "though I will still tighten security around the castle. Now, if you excuse me, I must leave to take care of fixing the damages to Mr. Xanatos's office before he returns."

Lexington shook his head as he watched Owen leave the room. "Considering all the times he's had to supervise the repairs in this castle, you got to feel sorry for him."

"Okay, everyone, back to business here," Brooklyn said, looking serious. "You said Fang had a little kid as a hostage?"

"Yeah," Broadway answered. "He shocked the poor kid till he was unconscious."

"But he was alone when I found him in Xanatos's office," Brooklyn pointed out.

"Well, maybe he hid him in another room?" Broadway suggested.

"I doubt it," Angela said. "He would not have risked the boy waking up and escaping."

"Say, Owen did mention that before he came across Fang and Brooklyn, he saw a little kid running around the castle with Bronx," Lexington said. "I have to go check something!"

The others watched as Lexington dashed out of the room on all fours. Brooklyn then sighed and looked back at the others. "Well, then, let's go check with Goliath," he said. "This whole thing is getting stranger, and we have to figure out what to do next."

* * *

Elisa returned to the infirmary, accompanied by Tim. He had given her the number minutes earlier, and she had just gotten off the phone. As they entered, Al and Maggie immediately walked over expectantly, wanting to hear everything.

"The alibi checks out," Elisa told them. "Tim did start on a new job at a warehouse today, and he was definitely there when Fang escaped. He didn't do it."

Maggie was slightly shocked at this, but then looked directly at Tim, her expression revealing how ashamed she felt. "Tim, I… I'm sorry, I…"

"It's okay, Maggie," Tim said, looking at the unconscious Talon, then back at her. "You had your reasons to suspect me, I understand."

"But that also means we're no closer to finding out who helped Fang escape," Al reminded them.

"Maybe," Elisa said. "But maybe, eliminating suspects could get us closer to finding out who did it."

The four of them looked back at Talon, who continued to remain still, silent and unconscious. Maggie went back to sitting next to his bed, and Tim decided to join her. Elisa and Al stayed a few moments longer, until Elisa walked out of the room, with Al following after her.

"I need to go back to work, Al," Elisa said. "I'll try and take some time off so I can come over again. But if anything does happen, don't hesitate in giving me a call."

Al nodded, patting her on a shoulder. "Sure thing, Elisa."

They bid each other farewell, and with hands in her jacket pockets and troubling thoughts in her head, Elisa made her way out the Labyrinth doors. She walked along the tunnels, looking forward to distracting herself by working the rest of the evening, and then getting some sleep, but she was sure she wasn't about to get any good rest. She was worried sick about her brother, and furious beyond words at Fang. She was certain she wouldn't get a moment's peace until either Fang got caught, or Derek got better, or both. Elisa was so much into her thoughts that she barely noticed how far she had walked already, and only noticed as she caught a glimpse of Claw coming around a corner. Claw noticed her as well, and they came closer, with Elisa noticing the expression on Claw's face. He looked furious and frustrated, and Elisa could not blame him, for she felt the same way.

"Hi, Claw," she greeted him as they came to a stop in front of one another. Claw nodded at her in greeting, and continued to walk in direction to the Labyrinth. He took two steps, and then felt Elisa put a hand on one of his arms to stop him. He turned to look at her, and for the first time in hours, Claw's expression changed, from anger to surprise, as Elisa hugged him firmly.

"Thank you, Claw," she said. "You were so quick to tell Goliath and the others, and you're so worried about Derek being okay and working so hard to capture Fang. I'm very grateful for that."

Claw sighed softly, and his expression changed again, now into a small smile, as he hugged Elisa as well. They broke the embrace moments later, both smiling at each other. Elisa chuckled softly and patted both of his shoulders. "A smile looks so much better on you than a scowl," she told him. "We need to keep ourselves positive through all this. Derek's gone through bad things and has always come out okay, and I know he'll do the same this time too. As for Fang, he's going down sooner or later. For now, let's just take things one step at a time. Okay?"

Claw nodded in positive reply. "You're quite the big brother to us, Claw, and I'm happy you're part of our family," she told him, making his smile widen. She waved at him as she started walking away again, and he waved in return. He watched her until she turned a corner, then sighed again and continued on his way. Though still angry at Fang and worried about Derek, Claw was calmer now. Elisa always knew how to make others feel better. Now with a clearer head, Claw returned to the Labyrinth, knowing he'd spend most of the day looking after Talon, but first looking forward to some rest. He would need all the energy he could muster, if he was to care for Talon during the day and hunt for Fang at night.

* * *

The big, comfortable swivel chair made a slight creaking noise as the young gargoyle crouched on it, rather than sitting. It was more fitting for Lexington, partly because he was used to crouching most of the time, and because it allowed him to accommodate his tail. In his left hand he held a honey bun with a napkin, which he had taken after a quick trip to the kitchen. Having searched for Fang for hours, crisscrossing the skies above the city, he had not gotten anything to eat since he woke up, and thus he wanted to replenish at least a little energy as he set to his new task. With his free hand, he pulled himself on his chair, closer to the console where many buttons gleamed in different colors, accompanied by various levers and knobs that only he among his clan understood. For some reason, technology just came easy to him, and he enjoyed it immensely.

Lexington brought the honey bun to his mouth and took a big bite of the sweet, sticky, bread-like treat, while his right hand flew through the buttons and levers of the console with astounding speed. He did not even look at them as he stared up at the many monitors on the wall. Lexington had figured that, while the others planned what to do next in regards to Fang and the human child he had taken hostage, he would do what he did best, and go for the technological aspect of things. It was the reason why he was now sitting in front of almost twenty monitors that took up a good portion of one wall of the security room. Lexington knew that if there was any clue to be found, anything that could get them one step closer to catching Fang, it would be in the footage of the security cameras in the castle.

Lexington decided to check everything since they woke up, and thus rewinded the video until he could see himself and his clan awakening. Afterwards, he set the video to fast-forward, keeping his eyes open for the first glimpse of the brown-furred mutate, taking occasional bites of his honey bun. It didn't take long until he finally noticed the mutate appear onscreen, and he immediately came to attention, pressing Play on the console. Lexington watched as the mutate came to a landing on the castle, holding on to a child, who was clinging to him and clearly conscious. Lexington became rather confused, however, as he continued to watch the video, where Fang and the boy were walking together, talking normally, and the child was curiously exploring all his surroundings.

"That doesn't look like someone who was just kidnapped by a flying creature," Lexington said in a low voice. He continued watching until he saw them entering Xanatos's office. The footage ended there, making Lexington frown for a moment. Xanatos, ever the cautious one, had made sure that the video logs for his office were kept private, with access permitted only for himself, Fox, and Owen. The young gargoyle shook his head. He and his entire clan knew perfectly well that Xanatos was always up to less than legal schemes, and he knew how to keep them secret.

Still, Lexington smirked and scoffed. His honey bun, now down to a little less than half, was put in his mouth, held there firmly by his sharp teeth, the napkin sticking to it as he now used both hands to work the console. He knew perfectly well just which buttons to press, what sequence needed to be followed. Xanatos was indeed very careful, and knew how to protect his office's video footage well, but the security measures were no match for the olive-skinned gargoyle, who bypassed them with astounding ease.

"Like taking candy from a baby," Lexington said to himself, taking the honey bun from his mouth after a big bite. Now that he had accessed the footage he needed, he hit Play and turned up the volume, as he watched Fang, looking frustrated, still accompanied by the child. Listening in to the whole conversation, Lexington was becoming increasingly confused. Not only did the child didn't look as if he had been kidnapped, he was helping Fang look for Xanatos. The footage was soon followed by Fang and the boy separating and going different ways, and Lexington kept a sharp eye on everything, ears on the alert.

Keeping an eye on both of them through the different monitors, Lexington eventually noted Bronx approaching the boy while Fang returned to Xanatos's office. As Fang was simply waiting around, Lexington decided to focus on the boy, who had just been pounced by Bronx, who proceeded to lick the boy's face. As the child and garg-beast interacted, Lexington turned up the volume to see if he could catch any necessary tidbits of information.

"_Uncle Freddy never mentioned anything like you up here. You look like a gargoyle. Just without the wings, and… oh, no…"_

It took Lexington a moment to register what he had just heard, as he was finishing his sweet treat while the child continued talking. He was about to deposit the used napkin in a nearby wastebasket when he suddenly realized what the child had said. "Did he just say 'Uncle Freddy'?"

Turning back to the monitors, a now fully attentive Lexington listened closely as the child got to his feet, looking worried. _"The gargoyles live here, and by now they have to be searching for Uncle Fred. Oh, man, he's a sitting duck in here!" _The child started running at that moment, and Bronx followed suit.

"Uncle Fred?" Lexington repeated, more confused than before. He did not like this development at all, and was quick to activate the earpiece communicator. "Goliath, Lexington here. I just found out something important. Come over to the castle's security room. You might want to ask Elisa to come, too. Something tells me we'll really need her for this one."

* * *

Fang stood by the door inside Daniel's room, breathing deeply and rapidly, having awakened from a good sleep rather suddenly and desperately. He looked back at his nephew, who was fast asleep in his bed, still fully clothed. He opened the door just a little, peeking outside at the hall and nearby living room. He cursed under his breath as he noticed that, the way the furniture was positioned, he could not catch a glimpse of Daniel's drunken stepfather. He needed to make sure the man was asleep.

The mutate sighed wearily and looked back at the closed window in Daniel's room. He was desperate right now, and thought about handling his business by going outside, but thought that maybe it was not worth taking that chance. He was still injured, after all, and did not want to risk worsening those wounds by having to struggle through that window again. He knew that, if he was to stay here for a while, he'd need to limit the times he'd go in and out, already sick and tired of how tedious it was for him to have such difficulty on something as simple as fitting in through a window.

Fang groaned softly under his breath, as his urge grew stronger, and he was becoming more desperate by the second. He knew he had no choice, and decided that he'd just take the risk of doing his deed inside. Still, he knew he had to be as cautious as possible. He slowly opened the bedroom door and walked out into the hall as silently as he could. Carefully, he walked towards the living room, and his nose reacted even before his sight did. The smell of alcohol was easy for his enhanced sense to pick up, and he then saw the still body of Daniel's stepfather. More than asleep, he seemed even unconscious, the only movement he demonstrated was his belly rising, going up and down as he breathed.

Having made sure that he was there, Fang then sneaked his way back down the hall and pressed his ear against Carmen's bedroom, where he could now hear her soft snoring. Relieved, and hoping they would not wake up, Fang immediately went to the bathroom, being careful to close the door and lock it as quietly as he could. He quickly clicked the lights on and groaned once again, lowering his trunks and sitting down on the toilet, sighing in relief as he just let nature and his body functions take care of the rest. He had not gone to the bathroom since even before he got to escape from the Labyrinth, and he was furious at having to hold it in for so many hours, considering everything else that had been taking up his time throughout the whole evening. He sighed, and decided to just sit there and forget about everything till he was finished, only hoping that neither Carmen nor her husband had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom.

* * *

Goliath had arrived to join Lexington in the security room, while the smaller gargoyle had rewinded the tape to the moment where Fang and the boy, whom they now knew was named Daniel, arrived at the castle. This time, Lexington cranked up the volume all the way for the outside cameras, to listen in on the entire conversation. Goliath was at first surprised, and now his expression was a serious frown, as he continued watching. Soon enough, they came to the part of the tape where Fang fought both Brooklyn and Owen in Xanatos's office, which Lexington had not gotten to see yet. Both were astounded at the brawl that was taking place.

"Fang's like a wild animal in there," Lexington commented. They continued to watch as Fang won the battle, stole Owen's money and decided to leave, until he remembered the child, cursing as he went back into the castle to search for him. Moments later, the gargoyles received company, as Elisa walked into the room.

"Guys, I got here as fast as I could," Elisa said, immediately looking at the monitors as she joined her friends. "What was it you wanted to show me?"

"It's about the child who Fang supposedly took hostage, Elisa," Goliath replied.

Elisa nodded. "Well, I checked at the precinct like you asked, but there were no reports of any hurt or missing children."

"That's because the kid wasn't kidnapped. Turns out he was in on it with Fang all along. He even refers to Fang as Uncle Fred," Lexington said as he kept his attention on the monitors, as he now fast-forwarded the tape to the point where Fang knocked out Bronx and reunited with the child. Fang looked both furious and relieved as he and the boy started talking.

"Oh, my God," Elisa gasped. "That's Daniel."

Goliath and Lexington immediately looked at Elisa, while Lexington paused the footage. "Elisa, do you already know this child?" Goliath asked her.

"Yes, I do," Elisa replied. "I met him in he Labyrinth. From what I learned, he seems to have a difficult living situation at home and sometimes sneaks out. He found the Labyrinth by following a couple of the residents, and has taken to visit it. Derek was concerned about it and asked me to go meet him, just in case. He's a nice boy, and he and Claw quickly became good friends."

It took only a couple of seconds for Lexington to put two and two together. "Elisa, by any chance, was Daniel visiting the Labyrinth when Fang escaped?"

"Well, yes, he was there early during the evening, but he felt ill during dinner and asked Claw to take him home," Elisa replied, and then both she and Goliath immediately realized what Lexington was getting at. "And Claw wasn't there at the moment Fang got out. Oh, good Lord, it must have been him."

"So, it seems we have found Fang's accomplice," Goliath said in a heavy voice. "Now I understand why you had such difficulty pinpointing him, Elisa."

"Yeah," Lexington said, hitting the Play button so the footage would continue. "Who would ever suspect a little kid to have been the one to let Fang go? And, from the looks of it, he sure played everybody, especially Claw."

Elisa sighed and shook her head, arms crossed. "Poor Claw. He's already taking all of this badly. Knowing that Daniel tricked him will make him feel even worse."

Goliath took a deep breath, pondering for a moment as he watched on the monitor, watching how Daniel had willingly played the part of Fang's hostage to help him escape. "I think perhaps it would be best if we don't tell Claw about this for now," Goliath finally said.

"Why not?" Lexington asked.

"I believe we should first find out more about this boy," Goliath explained. "We must remember, he found the Labyrinth by pure coincidence. It was only several visits later that he helped Fang escape, and they came together to the castle, hoping to convince Xanatos to allow Fang to live here. And there is also the matter of Daniel referring to Fang as his uncle, named Fred."

"I see where you're going with this," Elisa said. "Just because he's a kid, doesn't make Daniel stupid or naïve. This whole 'Uncle Fred' thing sounds like something too elaborate to trick him into helping Fang, so there's definitely more to this than meets the eye. I better try to find out more about Daniel and his family."

"Agreed," Goliath said with a nod. "And perhaps it's for the better that we keep this only amongst ourselves, at least for the moment."

"I agree, too," Lexington said. "It's pretty likely that Daniel will keep visiting the Labyrinth so Claw and Maggie won't get suspicious, and if we tell them about this, there's a risk that they might act in some way that could tip Daniel off before we find out more about what's up with him and Fang."

"My thoughts exactly," Goliath said. "We'll tell the rest of the clan only."

"I think you guys should also drop by the Labyrinth to check on Derek and the others occasionally," Elisa added. "If any of you get to meet Daniel, you could follow him, see where he meets with and contacts Fang."

Goliath nodded and smiled slightly. "A good idea, Elisa," he said. "Still, it's best for us to keep our distance even then. Fang could be keeping a closer eye on this boy than it could seem at first glance. For the moment, we simply keep an eye out for him while you find out more."

"Well, at least now we got a plan," Lexington said, stopping the footage as Fang and his supposed hostage flee from the castle.

* * *

Feeling much better now, Fang washed his hands with as little water as he could manage, in order to keep the noise down. Afterwards, he turned off the lights and sneaked back into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door slowly, the light illuminating the kitchen and part of the living room. The mutate paused as the sleeping, snoring man at the couch stirred momentarily, and then grew silent once more. Fang then reached into the fridge, in which, he noticed, there were not many items. Fang took a half empty gallon of water, brought it to his mouth and took a few gulps. As he put the gallon back, his eyes were trained on Daniel's sleeping stepfather the whole time.

Having sated his thirst, Fang closed the fridge door and walked slowly back to the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was closest to Daniel's bedroom, so Fang was glad that even with his injuries, he could get from one room to the other fast enough, as he flushed the toilet and immediately rushed into his nephew's room, with plenty of time to close and lock the door before either Daniel's mother or stepfather could spot him should any of them had awakened.

Fang growled softly under his breath. His stay at his nephew's home had barely just begun, and already he found difficulty and risk in tasks as simple as entering through the window, going to the bathroom and taking a drink of water. He knew the alternative was not any better, but this didn't help uplift his mood. Making his way back to his makeshift sleeping mat, the cougar-man stifled a grunt as he lowered himself, feeling the sting of his injuries. He kept silent all the way, though, not wanting to awaken Daniel, till he finally settled down on the mat and let out a slow, long, held-in breath. Fang hoped his injuries would heal soon, for he needed to be able to come and go freely, especially when Daniel's mother and stepfather were at home. He was already thinking on what he should do from now on other than seeking refuge at his nephew's place, and though a few ideas came to him, they would have to wait, for the exhausted mutate fell asleep once more, and for the rest of the night, he did not wake up any more.

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 9: New Day, New Start**

**By RemTar85**

As he awoke, Derek Maza, now known better as Talon, remembered everything that had transpired before he had been knocked unconscious. He remembered that Fang had somehow managed to escape his cell, and how Fang had tricked him, laid a trap for him. He had tried to stop the rogue mutate, but Fang had managed to get the upper hand on him, and savagely beat him till Talon remembered no more. Talon did not know how long he had been out, but when he regained consciousness, the only thing he could register was a lot of pain.

He groaned as his head ached, opening his eyes and being blinded by the lights above him. He breathed deeply and slowly, trying to calm down, and he once more opened his eyes, though this time did so very slowly, allowing his eyes to get used to the light. Slowly but surely, the world around him came into focus. He was in the Labyrinth's infirmary, and was the sole occupant. Talon then noticed he was hooked to various medical devices, such as an I.V, and he could feel two small plastic tubes, attached to a much longer one, going into his nostrils, blowing a gentle, steady flow of oxygen. He didn't know where these devices had come from, but he could inquire about it at a latter time, for now he had more pressing matters. Talon tried to get up, and then cried out as he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Maggie… Claw… Al… anyone," Talon tried to call out, but his throat was dry, and his voice came out low and raspy. He was becoming desperate now, anxious to know how long he had been unconscious, how the others were doing, and what had happened with Fang. Not knowing how else to call for attention, he squinted his eyes and focused on the infirmary's entrance as best as he could, then raised the hand without the I.V on it. He gathered electricity on his hand, and then released it, hitting the wall next to the door with a loud crackle. He did this once more, then again, and was about to shoot a fourth time when Claw suddenly appeared on the doorway. The tiger-man's face was one of shock and surprise, eyes wide as he caught sight of a now conscious Talon. Smiling, he ran to his friend's side, using sign language to ask how Talon was feeling.

"My throat's dry… and my head… my head's killing me," Talon uttered. "Where's…"

Talon could not finish his sentence, as Maggie came rushing into the infirmary. "Claw, what's happening?" she asked nervously, but then gasped at the sight of Talon being awake. "Derek!"

The panther mutate finally smiled as Maggie rushed to his side, holding his hand, tears running down her face. "Hi, dear," he greeted her in a low voice.

"I'm so happy you're awake!" she told him, as Claw stood by her side. "I was worried sick!"

Talon took his hand out her grip and slowly pulled her into a hug. "I'll be fine, after this damn headache goes away," he said, speaking better now. "And I'll be even better once I get my hands on Fang."

"There will be time for that later," Maggie told him, kissing him on the cheek. "Right now I have to go call Elisa, and Dr. Sato, too. He asked me to give him a call if you woke up."

"Thanks, Maggie," Talon said.

The she-cat smiled at her mate, and after kissing him again, she exited the room. Claw stayed with Talon, keeping him company. Taking his pen and notepad from his waistband, Claw was quick to scribble down on it and showed Talon what he had written.

"_Fang's on the run. I went in search of him, along with Goliath and the others. We almost got him, but he got away. Don't you worry, though, Derek, we'll catch him sooner or later. You just worry about resting and getting better now."_

Talon read the note, then sighed and nodded. "You're right, Claw. You and the others are more than capable enough to handle Fang," Talon told his friend, then looked up at him with a frown etched on his feline face. "But if you haven't caught him by the time I recover, then you can count on me to hunt the bastard down. I'm really raring for some payback right about now."

* * *

"Hey, Elisa. You're here earlier than usual."

Elisa Maza looked up from her seat, and she smiled at her friend and co-worker, Officer Morgan Morgan, as he walked by, dragging a handcuffed, middle-aged man. "Hi, Morgan. Just thought I'd check something out," she told him, signaling to the computer in front of her.

Morgan nodded and smiled at her, continuing on his way. "Hope you find what you're looking for."

"I hope so too, Morgan," she said to herself in a low voice as Officer Morgan walked away with the handcuffed man. She was counting on this search to hopefully find new information that could lead them to Fang.

After having viewed the security tapes at the castle and discovering that Fang's accomplice was eleven year old Daniel Sykes, Elisa became even more determined to find the mutate, seeing as how he seemed to be manipulating a boy into doing his dirty work. She had bid farewell to Goliath and Lexington and had gone home immediately afterwards, where she had a rather restless yet long sleep. After waking up, she had immediately gotten ready to go out after a quick breakfast and feeding her pet cat, Cagney, heading directly to the police station, and immediately going to the computers.

Elisa tapped on the keyboard, bringing up the search function, and then took a paper from her pocket, unfolding it and reading the contents. She was now reviewing every bit of information that Derek, Claw and Maggie had been able to provide her about Daniel Sykes. She recalled watching the video, how Fang and the boy interacted, and how Daniel had referred to Fang as 'Uncle Fred'. Checking the paper, Elisa noticed that Daniel's father, who had walked out on his family when Daniel was six, was called David Sykes, and that he had a brother named Fred. Elisa was glad that Claw had inquired quite a bit during his conversations with Daniel when they hung out, as they had been able to provide a physical description and other details.

"Let's see if I can find anything on this so-called uncle Fred," Elisa muttered. Setting the paper down, she used the search function on the computer, searching for any mention of criminal records on anybody named Fred Sykes. It took a few minutes of searching, and eventually Elisa found someone who fit the physical description and birth date.

The picture on the file was that of a man in his early to mid twenties of age. He was about five feet and eight inches in height, with brown eyes and hair, and a skinny, lanky body. His criminal record was not extensive, however, as he had been arrested only once for petty theft, and had somehow managed to pay the money for bail. What followed was equally insightful, as Elisa saw that during early April of the year 1995, a missing person's report had been filed for Fred Sykes, and it was still an unsolved case. Elisa recalled that one of the very few things of his pre-mutate life Claw had told them was how, in early April of 1995, he and another man had been 'hired' by Anton Sevarius to work on his lab, and ended up becoming guinea pigs, and eventually, became Claw and Fang. The physical description Claw had given in regards to that other man certainly fit the picture in Fred Sykes's profile.

"Everything fits. Fang really is Daniel's uncle," Elisa said, once again looking at the picture of Fang before he had been mutated. Elisa sighed, as she decided to print out a copy of the picture and all the details, just in case. Fang being Daniel's uncle could only complicate things further, Elisa knew. Still, at the very least now she knew where to start looking for the fugitive mutate. As she turned off the computer and was about to leave, a young female officer approached Elisa.

"Detective Maza, someone left a message for you on the phone a moment ago."

"Who was it?" Elisa asked.

"She said her name was Maggie," the officer replied. "She asked me to tell you that you should drop by her place as soon as you can, and that she has good news that you'll want to hear about."

Elisa gasped slightly, but then she smiled, knowing that good news from Maggie meant good news about Derek. Elisa thanked the officer for giving her the message, and she left the station in a hurry, eager to get to the Labyrinth and to her brother.

* * *

The day was very bright and sunny, and Daniel's bedroom was flooded in sunlight coming in through the window. Fang groaned a bit as he woke up and had to slowly open his eyes to get used to such brightness. It took him about a minute to get used to it, but afterwards, he sat up slowly. He immediately noticed that the injuries on his side were now hurting a lot less, and most of his bruises didn't hurt anymore. His swollen eye was quite healed as well, only a tad swollen now, and he could open it. The cut above his brow seemed to have healed by now, but he decided to not remove the bandage just yet. It was then when he remembered where he was, though, and immediately noticed that his nephew was not in the room. The bed was made, and the door was closed, and Fang then checked the clock on top of Daniel's dresser. It was almost one o' clock in the afternoon, and Fang was surprised that he had actually slept that long.

Getting to his feet, the cougar-man made his way to the bedroom door. He slowly turned the knob and carefully opened the door, peeking outside. The apartment seemed silent, but after a few seconds, the sound of pages turning came from the living room. Opening the door the rest of the way, Fang slowly walked to the living room and peeked in, noticing his nephew sitting on the couch, a small stack of comic books next to him as he read one of them

"Danny Boy," Fang called out in a low voice.

The child instantly perked up and looked back. "Hey, Uncle Fred," he said, setting his comic book aside. "Don't worry, it's just us here. Mom's gone to work, and my stepfather's gone someplace, so he'll likely not come back till really late."

"That's a relief," Fang said. "Finally, I can relax a bit."

"Yeah," Daniel said. "How are those cuts?"

Fang grinned and gently laid a hand on the bandages. "Hurts a lot less. I figure that by tonight, I'll be back to normal. See, there's another advantage to being a mutate."

"Hooray for the healing factor," Daniel said with a smile. Getting up, he signaled for Fang to follow, guiding him to the bathroom, where he handed the mutate a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush. "I set up a spare toothbrush for you, so you can brush your teeth. I figure it must take longer than normal to brush those teeth of yours, so I can fix you some lunch while you freshen up."

"Thanks, kiddo," Fang told the boy, patting him on his shoulder. "But I thought you didn't know how to cook."

"I don't," Daniel answered. "But you don't have to know how to cook to make some sandwiches, just know how to work the oven so you can toast the bread and some bacon. I got my savings and went to the grocery store around the corner earlier, after Mom had gone to work, and I bought bread and cheese and other stuff to make sandwiches."

Fang looked down at his nephew with a surprised look and a smile. "You used your money that you save to buy comic books to buy me some food? Geez, little pal, that's pretty damn nice of you."

Daniel smiled and shrugged. "You're my uncle. I can't just let you go hungry. I can try and save more money for comics later."

Fang shook his head a bit and chuckled, patting his nephew's back. "And I'm supposed to be the adult here? You're embarrassing me, kid!"

"Nothing adult about being responsible," Daniel replied with a shrug. "Go ahead and freshen up. I'll be in the kitchen."

Fang looked on as his nephew left the bathroom and went on to the kitchen. He shook his head again, sighing while he put toothpaste on the brush provided to him and started to brush his sharp teeth. Normally, Fang was very meticulous about the hygiene of his namesake, and often took a good five to ten minutes to properly brush his teeth, but at the moment he was just rushing through it, for his mind was elsewhere. He was surprised at how his nephew had changed since he had last seen him, first by learning that the boy went out by himself at night, asking for money to have dinner, then his visits to the Labyrinth, and everything else after they had met once more. Daniel had gone behind everybody's backs to free him from his cell, he had insisted to go along to Xanatos's castle, had played a willing hostage in order to help him escape from Claw, Goliath and the other gargoyles. Even after all that, Daniel took care of his wounds, offered him his room to stay in, and had even used what money he had saved to buy him food. Spitting out the toothpaste foam from his mouth, he rinsed it all off, then stared at himself in the mirror. For quite some time, he took care of his nephew after his brother had walked out on him, and yet now it was his nephew who was taking care of him. It made Fang feel awkward to know that he was now literally under the care of an eleven year old boy, but at the same time he knew what that other feeling was at seeing how responsible Daniel was being and how he stood by his uncle's side despite any difficulties. The mutate was proud.

Fang smiled to himself again. He took a pee after he was finished with brushing his teeth, then he flushed the toilet, washed his hands and left the bathroom after drying off. Passing by the kitchen, he peeked in to see his nephew assembling about five or six sandwiches. Still smiling, the mutate decided to leave his nephew to the task, and headed for the living room, sitting on the couch. He was pondering about turning on the television when he noticed the comic book on top of the stack that Daniel had on the couch. He picked it up and stared at the cover art, in which a black teenage boy wearing a black spandex suit, mask and a black baseball cap with an X on it, was producing electricity from his hands. _Static_ was the name of the comic. It was the first issue, and though certainly not in mint condition, Daniel certainly took good care of it, just like his other comics.

"Man, this brings back memories," Fang said to himself. He was not a fan of comic books like his nephew, but back when Fang was human and he took Daniel to buy them, he would sometimes find one interesting enough to sit down and read along with the boy. _Static_ was one of the few comics that Fang genuinely liked, even though he never read that many issues of it, and now he opened the comic and started to read. He found himself enjoying how the story felt more down to earth in regards to making the characters, settings and situations be more real despite the superhero situations, without things that overcomplicated most other comics, such as time travel, alternate realities, and other such things that Fang found too confusing and a complete waste of time.

Though the writing was good enough to keep Fang entertained, it was the main character's powers that caught Fang's attention after reading only the first five pages, for the teenage superhero could do more than simply throw electricity. After reading the first few pages and watching Static use his powers in various ways to dispose of a gang of teenaged thugs in an arcade, the mutate was intrigued. He studied how Static could charge metallic objects with his power and move them around at will, as though he were a magnet. He also charged up electricity in one hand and punched one of the thugs, sending him flying back due to the impact. His taser punch, as he called it.

Fang closed the comic book and set it back down on the small pile. Raising his hands in front of him, he stared at them intently as electricity crackled through his fingers. Fang loved his new body, despite the fact that he now couldn't go out without causing a panic. He loved the strength, and the flying, and shooting electricity. But now that he really thought of it, he wondered about his electric powers. He remembered how Dr. Sevarius had explained that the electricity he and the other three mutates were able to generate could serve as an offensive weapon, as well as giving them their strength and energy for flight. And as far as he remembered, him and the other mutates always used their electricity in two ways. Either they sent continuous jolts from their hands onto someone else to shock them, or they shot those shocks from their hands as electric blasts.

Fang was, of course, quite pleased by those abilities. But now, just reading a few pages of a comic book, Fang wondered if, perhaps, there could be more to his electricity, an as of yet untapped potential beyond shocks and blasts. It made Fang wonder if those abilities could improve, or, as Sevarius would probably put it, evolve. Focusing entirely on his right hand, gazing at it intently, Fang tried to direct all his electricity to it, trying to focus it all on just that one point. The crackling of electricity became louder, intensifying, as the cougar-man continued to focus. His right hand now fully covered in electricity, and though it looked like it was dangerously close to bursting out all over the place, he somehow managed to keep it all in his hand, which was now barely visible.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here's my taser punch," Fang said to himself. He continued to add more electricity to it, concentrating hard to try to get the rather unstable ball of electricity under control while it got stronger, and though at times it seemed to work, he found himself unable to get to control it the way he wanted, as it seemed too wild and erratic, dangerously close to bursting out of his hand, and he was having a more difficult time to control it with every passing second. "Oh, crap."

Fang growled, getting to his feet, looking a little worried about what to do with this powerful ball of electricity he held in his hand, just waiting to burst. His eyes fell on one of the living room windows, which was open. He rushed to it, looking out and down at the street, full of cars and people. Crouching so they could not see him, Fang stuck his hand out the window, pointing up to the sky, and he shot the ball of electricity. It flew high in the sky at great speed, and in the bright sun, Fang could not see how far it went. He sighed and stood up with a scowl on his face. It had been going well, and suddenly he couldn't control it anymore, which frustrated him. Turning around, he saw Daniel standing there, looking in awe as he carried the sandwiches in a plate, and a large bag of potato chips on his other hand.

"That was totally cool, Uncle," Daniel said with a big smile as he walked to the couch and set the plate of sandwiches down on it. He returned to the kitchen and got two 7-Up's from the fridge, bringing them back and handing one to his uncle.

"Thanks, Danny Boy," Fang said, eyeing the can of soda. "Don't you have any beer?"

"Sorry, Uncle," Daniel said, shaking his head. "If there's one thing my jerk of a stepfather keeps track of in that fridge, it's his beer. And I can't buy beers for you."

Fang sighed, popping the can open. "It's okay," he said with a shrug. Daniel took his one sandwich, a simple ham and cheese, and began eating. Fang took one of the four Daniel had made for him and took half of it in one bite. The bread had been toasted and it crunched as Fang bit into it, and he could taste lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and bacon. Fang smiled a bit as he chewed and swallowed, glad that even after two years, Daniel remembered the things his uncle enjoyed eating.

"So, what was that all about just now, with the electricity?" Daniel asked casually, opening the bag of chips and his can of soda.

Fang shrugged, putting the other half of his sandwich in his mouth. "Nothing much," he mumbled while chewing. "I noticed your _Static_ comic book, and it made me wonder if I could do more with my electric powers, so I tried doing something. You know, the taser punch thing, or moving metals around."

Daniel looked up at his uncle in curiosity. "I thought this mad scientist guy had basically put eel DNA in you guys so you could generate electricity."

"That's what he did," Fang said, reaching for some potato chips.

"Well, in the comics, Static's powers are electromagnetic," Daniel explained. "You can generate electricity, but electric and electromagnetic aren't exactly the same thing. I really don't think you can move metals around."

Fang thought about what his nephew said for a second, and then he frowned and growled under his breath. Being embarrassed was one of the things Fang hated most, and he always reacted badly to it, even when the only witness to it was his favorite nephew. "Figures," he grunted. "Can't believe I was so damn stupid to try things I see in a comic book."

"Oh, come on, don't beat yourself up," Daniel said, wanting to cool down the mutate's suddenly angry mood. "I just said you can't move metallic objects. The other stuff, I guess they could work, if you practice on them enough. I mean, that big ball of electricity you did just now was awesome, and just imagine how cool it could be if you could learn to control it all the way. And there might even be more things you could learn to do."

Fang took a deep breath. He kept his eyes on the boy, taking a second sandwich and biting into it, chewing slowly. He then scoffed, a bit of a smirk on his face as he swallowed. "I'm not becoming a superhero, Daniel."

"I didn't say that," Daniel said.

"But you were thinking it."

Daniel was silent for a moment, fidgeting. "Well, okay, so I guess I thought about it for a second," he finally admitted. "But can you blame me? I'm a comic book geek, and I got an uncle like you, all mutated into a humanoid cat with wings and electricity. And, besides, I know that as much as you try to deny it, you got a bit of geek in you, too. You wouldn't love your new body as much as you do if you weren't at least a little bit of geek."

Fang chuckled, setting his can of soda down and messing up his nephew's hair with his now free hand. "Okay, now you're overstepping your boundaries, boy. No calling your uncle a geek, especially not when he can give you the mother of all wedgies."

"Okay, okay, I won't call you a geek anymore!" Daniel said while laughing and trying to shove his uncle's hand away, straightening up his hair after Fang had pulled away.

The both of them went back to their sandwiches and chips, eating up till all was gone. Fang had not taken a single sip from his soda, and now that he was finished eating, he downed the whole drink in one go, gulping loudly as he guzzled it down, and he let out a quite loud burp after he was done, earning a laugh from his nephew. With their lunch now finished, Daniel took the plate and empty soda cans and chips bag to the kitchen. As he left the living room, Fang's eyes fell onto the television, which was turned off. Thinking back to what Daniel had said to him, he got up and unplugged the television. At that moment, Daniel returned from the kitchen, and he stared at his uncle in curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"Experimenting," Fang said, shrugging. "You're right, Danny Boy, maybe I just need to practice some more with my powers, and maybe they can be used in different ways. So, I thought to start out with something small. Let's just hope it works."

After having witnessed his uncle discharge a large and powerful amount of electricity out the window, Daniel looked rather concerned that his uncle wanted to try something with the television. The mutate took the plug for the television and held it in one hand, closing his fist around it. Electricity was once again visible in his hand, and the television flickered on at that moment. Fang and Daniel both smiled, as the television worked perfectly, the same as it would if it were plugged.

"That is so awesome, Uncle!" Daniel exclaimed with a laugh.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. You ever need to save on your electric bill, I'm at your service," Fang said, a smug grin in his face as he took a bow. The mutate was certainly pleased at having found a new use for his electricity, even if it was something so simple.

* * *

"So, what's the diagnosis, Doctor?" Talon asked.

"This is about the speediest recovery I've ever seen for injuries such as yours," Dr. Sato replied, having just finished checking up on Talon. "This rapid healing resulting from your mutation certainly did you well."

"It's about the one positive thing about this body," Talon grumbled.

"Come on, Derek, don't be a downer," Maggie said, holding one of his hands. Elisa and Claw also stood by Talon's bed.

"Sorry, darling," he said, patting Maggie's hand.

"Well, despite being mutated, your physiology is still very much like any human's," Dr. Sato explained. "It means that medicines and treatments will work as well for you as anybody else, except that you heal much quicker. These injuries would have taken quite a while to heal for most people, but you've made a remarkable recovery in less than a day."

"And the headache's finally gone, thank goodness," Talon said, rubbing his head and finally smiling.

"Still, I want you to stay in bed for a few more days," the doctor said, gathering his equipment. "You might be healing quickly, but you're not at a full one hundred percent. It's best to be safe."

"I'll make sure he gets his rest, Doctor," Maggie assured him, smiling broadly. Now that she had been assured that Talon was recovering well, her somber mood had fully disappeared to make way to a much brighter one.

Elisa, who had been rather quiet the entire time, neared her brother and put a hand on his shoulder, turning to the others. "I'm very grateful for everything you've done, Doctor," she said. "But, right now I'd like to talk to Derek in private."

The others nodded, and after bidding farewell to Dr. Sato, Maggie suggested she and Claw accompany him out. As they exited the infirmary, Claw lingered in the doorway for a moment, looking back at the siblings. He knew that Elisa was going to tell her brother about everything that had happened with Fang the night before, and any new information they may have found out, and the tiger-man was very tempted to stay and listen in. He was not the sort to do that to his friends, however, and he walked away rather reluctantly, closing the door behind him. Both Talon and Elisa noticed this.

"So, he wasn't doing that well last night, right?" Talon asked.

"No, he wasn't," Elisa replied. "He was angrier than I've ever seen him. He seems more determined to catch Fang than anybody else. At least he seems to have cooled down after you woke up."

"Let's hope this problem stops getting worse, for everybody's sake," Talon said. "I assume you want to talk to me about Fang, right? Claw already told me about what he did last night, taking a kid hostage and going to Xanatos's castle."

"That's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about," Elisa said, taking a paper from an inner pocket of her jacket, unfolding it and handing it to her brother. "Look at this."

Talon took the paper, looking curious as he studied the picture of a young man in his twenties. He saw that the paper was taken from the database at the police station, and read the man's information. Talon looked curious still, but at a certain point his face turned into a slight frown of surprise and realization. "You mean, this is who Fang used to be?" he asked Elisa.

"Exactly," she replied. "And if you notice his last name, you'll see he's related to Daniel Sykes. Lexington checked the castle's security tapes, and found out that Daniel was accompanying Fang, calling him his uncle. He pretended to be a hostage, and Fang covered him with a blanket so Claw wouldn't recognize him."

"They're related?" Talon asked in disbelief. "I can't believe this. A kid fooled us all along?"

"I wouldn't say that," Elisa said, shaking her head. "We studied the tapes, and from the looks of it, it seems Daniel got to meet Fang in his cell by pure coincidence. His only uncle has been missing for about two years, and he finally finds him in an underground community, locked in a cell and mutated into a gargoyle-like creature. It's obvious that he'd want to help Fang out, and Fang would definitely take as much advantage of it as he could."

Talon sighed and nodded. "That does sound more up Fang's alley," he said. "So, it's likely that Daniel is helping Fang remain hidden. What's worrying me right now is that Fang could hurt that poor kid."

"I agree," Elisa said, nodding. "That's why Goliath proposed we should keep an eye out for Daniel, since he might come back to the Labyrinth, and that way we can make sure he's okay and, hopefully, get to find out Fang's whereabouts. We had decided that we shouldn't tell you guys for the moment, especially Claw, since he's gotten attached to Daniel, and we don't want to risk accidentally tipping him off. But I thought at least you should know."

"That makes sense," Talon said. "And I understand why you don't want Claw to know. I'll keep an eye out for Daniel if he stops by, and I'll let you know when it happens."

Elisa nodded and smiled, leaning down to give her brother a gentle hug. "Thanks, Derek. You just think of getting better now, okay?"

Talon nodded, hugging his sister gently, and assured her that he would take it easy for a while. Still, they decided to take advantage of being left alone for the moment, and started to catch up on things. Since they couldn't visit each other much often, they found that they quite liked these rare chances to just sit and talk. After a thoroughly enjoyable chat with her younger brother, Elisa ended up leaving for home about forty-five minutes later, in hopes of a quick nap before heading for work.

* * *

Having finished their lunch a while earlier, Fang and Daniel now sat on the couch, relaxing as they watched a television show. Daniel had told his uncle it was a fairly new one and he was quite into it, some show based off of a movie about a cheerleader who kills vampires and other monsters. They were watching a rerun, in which a very attractive substitute teacher revealed herself to be a monster praying mantis in disguise, out to mate with men and then eat them. Fang had to admit that he was quite enjoying it.

Once the episode ended, Fang took the remote and turned the television off, turning to his nephew with a serious expression on his face. "Well, Danny Boy," he started, "I guess this is as good a time as any to talk about what do I do once I heal up fully. I can't stay here for too long, you know that."

"Yeah, I know," Daniel said with a nod. "I'm worried about where you could stay now that's both safe and comfortable, especially now that the castle is out of the question and you got everybody looking for you."

Fang sighed, staying silent for a few moments before continuing. "I had honestly thought, that just… just maybe I should skip town…"

"What?!" Daniel exclaimed.

"I know that it doesn't sound good, Daniel, but I got slim options now if I want to stay free," Fang said in a stern voice, his face equally stern. "There's the other mutates, the gargoyles, those damn clones, and I've not even gone into it with those Quarrymen yet, but you can bet it'll only be a matter of time."

"Okay, so maybe it is rough here," Daniel said, trying his best to not sound whiny, "but you can't just up and leave, especially not when you just came back after two years. Besides, even if you leave, where would you go? It would probably be just as rough for you anywhere else, and at least here you know me. And you know I'd help you out as much as I could."

Fang could not help but smile. The thought of leaving Manhattan had indeed come to mind, but Fang was certainly glad to see his nephew sticking up for him like that, wanting him to stay. While Tim was nice to him in the Labyrinth, Daniel stuck by him all the way, admired him and did everything to help him, from setting him free to playing the part of hostage. And his point was a fair one, in a way. "Okay, okay, I'll stay," the mutate told his nephew, "but only because you're asking me to stay, Danny Boy. I guess I still have another option left."

"Man, that's a relief," Daniel said, indeed looking visibly relieved after his uncle's assurances of sticking around. "I hope this one option works out for you. So, then, what is it?"

Fang took a deep breath, pondering momentarily, and then he reached behind him. Daniel looked curiously as the mutate produced a small bag, which had most likely been held by the strap of his trunks. Opening it, Fang reached inside and pulled out a wad of rolled up bills. The boy's eyes went wide as Fang unrolled the bills, and took out three twenty dollar bills, handing them out to Daniel.

"Where'd you get so much money, Uncle Fred?" Daniel asked without taking the money.

"I had some money saved from before I was turned into a mutate," Fang quickly replied, having had this excuse ready, just in case. "I had it hidden somewhere only I knew of, and picked it up on my way here last night."

"Oh, okay," Daniel nodded, now looking curious while taking the bills from his uncle's hand. "So, why are you handing these to me?"

"I need you to do me a favor, Danny Boy," Fang said seriously. "See, I need to see someone else, and for this one, I'd really need to look… decent." The cougar-man looked down at himself, now wearing only his blue trunks and nothing else.

Daniel immediately understood the message. "You want me to buy you new clothes?" he asked, despite knowing the answer. "I mean, I can do that, yeah. But, I doubt I could find clothes that can handle your wings."

"Well, I'd say some measurements to know the best size for me, and a little but precise scissor work will do the trick," Fang said with a slight shrug. "You just worry about finding some place that sells clothes cheap and buy me as much as you can with that. A pawn shop, a thrift store, anything like that."

"Okay, Uncle, I got it," Daniel nodded, folding the bills and putting them in a pocket of his denim shorts. "Who's this person you need to see?"

Fang chuckled, shaking his head for a moment. "I honestly must be crazy to go see her," Fang said, sounding as though he was saying this more to himself than to his nephew. "You ever heard of this Dominique Destine chick?"

Daniel nodded and answered. "Dominique Destine? You bet I have. She's the owner of that Nightstone company, and probably the second most powerful person in the city, after Xanatos."

"That's the one," Fang confirmed.

"Oh, don't tell me she's also involved with the gargoyles and all, too," Daniel said.

"Actually, she's a gargoyle herself, just that she turns into a human by day instead of turning to stone. Her real name is Demona, and she's a brilliant chick who's pissed off most of the time. She's lived for one thousand years, hates humans and most of the gargoyles here in Manhattan, except possibly her daughter, and now owns a company by day while plotting evil schemes by night. She was locked up for some time in the Labyrinth, in the cell right next to mine. Her boyfriend ended up being this other gargoyle clone, except this one's also brilliant but even more deranged than she is, and one night he busted her out, and she busted me out too, so I worked for her one night, and then I got caught by Talon and taken back to the Labyrinth again."

Daniel remained entirely still and silent after his uncle's quite thorough explanation, causing the mutate to chuckle. "Everything just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Daniel muttered, shaking his head.

"Welcome to the Twilight Zone, kiddo," Fang said, chuckling still.

Daniel looked up at the cougar-man, and could not help chuckling as well. "Guess weird doesn't necessarily mean bad," he said. "So then, since you were cell mates and you worked for her at least for one night, you're hoping that she'll help you out somehow?"

"I guess so," Fang said, now sounding slightly uncertain. "I mean, I'll try and see her somehow, and pretty much do what I was gonna do with Xanatos, and beg her for a job or something. I just hope I can catch her in a really, really good mood, or else."

"Or else what?" Daniel asked.

Fang looked rather awkward now. "Let's just say that, as cell mates, we didn't exactly get along. I mean, the one reason she actually let me work for her that night was because she thought I might've been useful for something, even if she did call me a fool. So, hopefully I can be of some use to her again and she might give me a break. Or, she might just get pissed at me, and then break my limbs, gut me, castrate me, slit my throat and probably do horrible things to my corpse," Fang uttered, now looking grim and a little queasy.

The both of them remained silent for a few moments after such a statement, until finally, a mortified-looking Daniel opened his mouth. "Are you really sure you got no one else to go to ask for help?" he asked in a low voice.

"Like I said, I got few options, Daniel," Fang spoke in a weary, heavy voice. "I could leave town, but like you said, I wouldn't know where to go and what to do to get by without getting in trouble. If I left, I couldn't take you, and if I left and took you, I don't even wanna think what kind of complications that would cause. And if I stick around, staying here with you, it will be mostly me trying to not get caught and find stuff to eat and use the bathroom without your mother and stepfather noticing, and in the long run I'll probably still get caught by either one of them, or by Claw or someone else dropping by unexpectedly. So I could stay at some abandoned building while the whole bunch of gargoyles look for me, or go to Demona, the only one left that I could go to, and take a chance, which would end in either her helping me, or… well, you know the alternative."

Daniel sighed, looking depressed. "I'm really sorry, Uncle Fred," he said, sounding forlorn. "It's like taking one step forward and two steps back. I really wish I could help you more."

"Hey, you've already done more than enough, Danny Boy," Fang told his nephew as he scooped the boy into a firm hug, though still being mindful of the wounds on his side. "You don't get anyhere in life without taking risks, you know? Maybe this time the risk will be worth it. Let's just take one thing at a time, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle," Daniel said with a nod, as his uncle set him back on the couch.

This simple reply was enough to get Fang smiling again, and he good-naturedly messed up Daniel's hair with his hand as he so often did, making the boy smile too. "There's a good kid," Fang said. "So, since we're taking things one step at a time, do you have anything that we could use for measuring? We better make sure the new clothes will fit me after we make those modifications for my wings."

**To be continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

**Chance Meetings**

**Chapter 10: A Second Try**

**By RemTar85**

A week had passed since Fang had escaped the Labyrinth. After having rested for a couple of days, Talon was now fully recovered, quite active, and with a newfound appreciation to his mutate body's ability for healing fast. Maggie was positively delighted to have him back to full health, and Claw was glad to see his friend back on his feet as well. Still, neither Talon nor Claw were fully at ease, for the fact that Fang was still out there was still heavy in their minds.

Once Talon had fully healed and all the Labyrinth dwellers had stopped worrying about whether he was going to be well or not, they were quite happy upon knowing that the one who had tried to basically enslave them was not down there anymore. Good riddance to bad rubbish, as some of them said, and Maggie found herself joining in that sentiment. Nevertheless, both Talon and Claw felt uncomfortable at knowing that Fang was still out there, getting ready to carry out any wicked idea that would end up in people being hurt, or worse, and both felt they had a responsibility to make sure that he wouldn't hurt anybody. Both of them had gone out during the evenings, to search alongside the Manhattan clan, sometimes both going and sometimes taking turns, one going while the other stayed in the Labyrinth.

Talon and Maggie were glad to see that Claw had also mellowed out a bit as the days passed by. Though there were times where he was rather moody and irritable from not finding Fang, the fact that Talon was okay and things were so peaceful in the Labyrinth without Fang's constant shouting had helped restore the tiger-man's good mood and gentle demeanor. It certainly made everybody around him glad, and Claw had to admit to himself that he certainly did not miss taking Fang his daily meals. The fact that Claw had lightened up for the most part had done nothing to deter in his search for Fang, though, and he remained still the most determined to find him out of all those that searched for him.

The more Talon saw Claw's determination in the search for Fang, the guiltier he felt at hiding the truth from him. Though they all constantly searched the city in hopes of getting a glimpse at the fugitive mutate, Talon, along with Elisa and the gargoyles, knew where to go to find information on Fang's whereabouts, if not find the cougar-man himself there, that being the apartment where Daniel Sykes lived with his mother and stepfather. After having discovered that Daniel was Fang's nephew and that he had helped Fang escape, they knew that they had to keep a close eye on the boy, which they were already doing by patrolling the area where he lived every night, though so far they had been unlucky. And yet, considering how attached Claw had become to the boy, they had decided to not tell him about Daniel's connection with Fang, at least for now, fearing that he might react badly. What Talon dreaded most, though, was the fact that sooner or later, Claw would very probably find out anyway, especially if they managed to recapture Fang, and awkward wouldn't even begin to describe how the situation would get.

Now, one week after Fang's escape, Talon was pondering whether he should tell Maggie about Fang being Daniel's uncle. He knew he could trust her with it and that she could be discreet about it around Claw, though in a way, this made him feel even guiltier about keeping Claw in the dark about it. But then he would remember how Claw had gotten attached to Daniel, and how much he hated Fang. Telling him about Fang and Daniel, and especially how Fang had been having Daniel help him out so far, would probably cause Claw to get emotional enough to go out and do something impulsive, so Talon would end up still feeling guilty, but convincing himself that keeping that knowledge from Claw was probably best for the silent mutate.

It was now an early Friday evening, and the three mutates and a few Labyrinth residents were currently cleaning up after dinner. Everybody started going their own way, some to talk, others leaving the Labyrinth to roam the streets, Al and some others keeping the clones occupied and entertained. After cleaning up, Talon told Maggie that he was to go on patrol that evening to look for Fang. The she-cat nodded understandingly, though Talon could tell that she wished that Talon and Claw would cut back a little on the constant search for the cougar-man. Giving her a hug and a kiss, and assuring her he'd be back in a few hours, Talon set out for the surface.

As he was walking out the Labyrinth's large main door, Talon heard footsteps behind him. Turning back, he saw Claw catching up with him, writing on his notepad as he walked. The note was finished as Claw reached his friend and showed it to him. _"I know we were going to take turns tonight, Derek, but do you mind if I tag along right now?"_

Derek nodded after reading the note. "Sure, you can come along," he said as he resumed walking. "Company's always welcome."

Claw smiled at that, and wrote once again. _"Then I hope you don't mind if we make a quick stop by Daniel's place? I haven't seen or heard from him in a week, and frankly, I'm a little concerned, since he wasn't feeling well the last time he came by. I just want to check up on him, make sure he's okay."_

Talon almost flinched upon reading that note. This was exactly what he didn't need right now. "Well, I don't know, Claw, maybe he just hasn't had a chance to drop by. Going to check up on him could be difficult, we could be seen."

Claw nodded, taking his notepad. _"I understand, Derek, but it won't take long. Just stand on a nearby rooftop, try to catch a glimpse into the apartment through a window."_

"Wouldn't you prefer me giving Elisa a call, so she can check up on Daniel?" Talon suggested. "It would be easier for her to do so."

Claw nodded once more, and wrote down. _"That would be nice, but I don't want to bother her during her shift. Daniel's place should be on our way to joining the others on patrol, so it'll only take a moment."_

Talon kept a straight face, and then nodded. "Okay, then, we'll check up on Daniel," he said. Claw smiled in satisfaction and gratitude, and both mutates continued on their way. Talon walked a pace behind Claw, a frustrated expression on his face. Considering that they wanted to keep a distance from Daniel's place and keep him close only when he came down to the Labyrinth, Talon only hoped that this little outing wouldn't backfire on them.

*

The week Fang had spent staying at Daniel's home had been a little stressful, to say the least. For starters, Daniel had warned about having to change his bloodied bandages at least once before his injuries healed fully, in order to avoid any type of infection. Daniel's mother and stepfather were in bed when Daniel slowly and carefully peeled off the tape that held the bandages in place, and Fang found it almost a torture to not cry out as he felt his fur being yanked off as the tape was removed, despite Daniel's carefulness. He was left frustrated at how those patches of fur had still to grow back fully, especially after having removed the second set of bandages (though this time it was done while they were alone), but at least now he was entirely healed.

He faced other things that left him irritated and annoyed, as well. He kept giving Daniel more of his money to buy food and drinks, and it rather pained him to have to give up more of the money he was trying to keep, but he knew it was necessary, and at least he knew how to cook for himself and Daniel, so nothing went to waste. Also, a few days after his wounds had healed, Fang and Daniel had noticed the stench coming off of the mutate's fur, and so they had to wait until they were alone again so Fang could use the shower. He had used up over half a large bottle of shampoo to clean up properly, and even enlisted the aid of a quite embarrassed Daniel to help him dry and comb his fur, using Daniel's mother's hair dryer and one of her hair brushes, not to mention having Daniel wash his uncle's only pieces of clothing in the building's laundry room. At least the result had been satisfactory, however, as Fang felt clean, refreshed and more comfortable, considering the circumstances.

Having to stay inside that apartment twenty-four hours a day didn't help any, either, for Fang felt himself a prisoner again, at times. Still, as the days passed by, he realized that other than those occasional mishaps, irritating moments and the constant hiding, staying in Daniel's place wasn't as difficult as he had initially thought. Things had gone basically as Daniel had described to his uncle before freeing him. His stepfather was usually out, his mother went out a lot as well and didn't pay much attention to him, and at times they left without leaving anything ready to eat. Fang constantly resisted the urge to step in whenever they did that, as well as when the occasional argument broke out and shouts filled the apartment. He was glad that Daniel at least made good company, though there was at least one moment when things were a tad stressful between the both of them.

"Are you sure you got the measuring right this time, Daniel?" Fang asked, looking weary.

"I think I did," Daniel replied meekly.

"You think?"

"Uncle Fred, you know I was never any good at math or anything like that," Daniel groaned. "I'm sorry we ended up ruining four shirts, but I'm honestly doing the best I can!"

"Okay, okay! I understand!" Fang exclaimed. "I suck at math too. Let's try it out, and if it doesn't work, let's just forget the shirts."

Still wearing only those blue briefs and wrist bands, Fang was already eager for new clothes, and had asked Daniel to go out during the afternoons to try to find a good place to buy some. Daniel had researched and explored all over his neighborhood and a little beyond it, and finally found a little thrift store that sold clothes at a quite low price. The boy had to describe his uncle as a physically tall and well-built man, though certainly omitting the fact that he had wings sprouting from his back. He had found a bunch of underwear, two leather belts, and three denim shorts that he knew would fit his uncle well. It took him longer to find shirts and t-shirts he thought would fit, but in the end found some he thought would be appropriate and bought an assortment of them.

The cougar-man and his nephew were currently sitting at the dining table, trying to modify the shirts to fit Fang's wings, and had found this task most frustrating so far. Daniel had tried measuring a good length to cut a hole on the backs of each shirt, but had so far been unsuccessful, having cut wrong in three shirts, one of them completely ripping apart as Fang had tried putting it on. By that time, Fang was growing quite annoyed at having three shirts go to waste. Now with a fourth, a simple red t-shirt, he had decided to simply fold his wings around his shoulders and put the t-shirt on as carefully as he could. As he had it on, Daniel marked an area of about two inches away from his wing joints in a full circle, using transparent tape to mark it down. Taking the shirt off, Fang now used the sharp claw of his index finger, cutting slowly along the transparent tape as Daniel held the shirt up, until a full circle of shirt fell to the table.

"There we go," Daniel said as he pulled the leftover tape off of the t-shirt. "Try it on now."

Taking the t-shirt and keeping his wings folded, Fang proceeded to put the t-shirt on once again, and then slowly and carefully pulled his wings through the hole he had cut on the back. Smoothing it out, he stood up and spread his wings, moved his arms up and down, testing it out. The t-shirt fit him well, tight enough to show his physique, but comfortable enough to move around without ripping, and after flapping his wings a bit, he saw that the hole cut for them was wide enough to not hinder his wing movement in any way. The mutate chuckled softly, as he smiled down at his nephew.

"It fits!".

"Thank goodness, we finally got it," Daniel said, smiling in relief as well. "So now we just have to cut the same length hole in the back of the rest."

Fang took off his new t-shirt, and using it as an example, they cut a circle in the back of each of the shirts and t-shirts that Daniel had gotten for his uncle. From normal button-up shirts to simple t-shirts, some with designs in them and some without, and shortly, all of them were set with proper holes in their backs and ready to use. As soon as they were done, they started tidying up, tossing the three ruined shirts and the cut-out pieces of fabric into a shopping bag to throw away later, and immediately afterwards, Fang started sorting through his new clothes.

"Okay, which one of these do I use?" he thought out loud, to himself and his nephew.

"You're going out, Uncle Fang?" Daniel asked as he joined his uncle at the table again.

Fang smirked, still sorting through the shirts, undecided. "Kiddo, I've been stuck inside this apartment for a whole week. I needto get out and stretch these wings. Besides, I want to try and see if I can find Demona, so I can ask if she has any need of me."

"It's a huge city, Uncle. I really don't think you'll be able to find her in just one night."

"I know," Fang said. "I have an idea of some places where she could be, though. We were cell mates for months, after all. You get to learn things about folks when you spend all that time locked up together."

"I guess," Daniel said, looking down at the shirts, smiling as he picked up a plain, white, button-up shirt. "How about this one? I have something to go with it."

"Oh? What's that?" Fang watched his nephew go into his bedroom after asking him that, and moments later, the boy returned, holding a black tie. Fang stared at the tie silently for a few moments, and then looked at his nephew, serious as could be. "You're kidding. Please, tell me you're kidding."

"Oh, come on!" Daniel exclaimed, an insistent tone in his voice. "What's wrong with a tie? It can make you look cool and also professional at the same time. You always wore a simple shirt and tie combo whenever you went looking for job interviews, remember?"

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago," Fang replied, "and I really don't think a tie will make any difference to Demona."

"Well, at least you'll look cool in the process, right?" Daniel added timidly. "Honestly, just rip the sleeves off of the shirt so your arms will show, take off those wrist bands and put on the tie. You'll look great!"

Fang sighed and shook his head. "Fine, fine. At least to stop you from insisting," Fang said, smirking at the boy as he took the shirt and tie from him, walking to the bathroom. Once there, he proceeded to carefully cut off the sleeves from the shirt with a claw. As he did this, he could hear Daniel continuing to tidy up and put everything in order. "You'll be fine while I'm gone, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine" Daniel called out.

"Just make sure to lock the door and windows, except the one in your room, so I can get back in," Fang instructed.

"I know, I know. Gosh, now you're starting to sound like Mom," Daniel called out in a rather exasperated voice, and Fang knew the boy was rolling his eyes while replying, making him chuckle as he tossed away one sleeve and proceeded to cut the next. It was quick and easy for him to do so, and he put the shirt on. Afterwards, he removed his wrist bands and started dealing with the tie, trying to remember exactly how to put one on.

As the cougar-man dealt with the difficult piece of fabric, Daniel went into the living room, making sure that he and his uncle had picked up everything and left nothing behind that could be found by Daniel's mother or stepfather. Noticing nothing out of place and every bit of fabric and clothing picked up, Daniel decided to check on his uncle's progress with the tie. But, as he was making his way to the bathroom, he heard an odd noise coming from his room.

The boy stopped for a moment, wondering what the noise had been. He could now only hear his mutated uncle's grumbles from the bathroom, but he decided to investigate anyway. Making his way into his room, Daniel looked around, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It was then when he heard that same noise, and though it lasted only a second, he quickly identified it as the soft crackle of electricity. Waiting for a moment more, he now heard it again, but also saw a soft flash on his window. Feeling nervous now, Daniel stepped up to his bedroom window and peered out. And as he looked up, he gasped, because on the rooftop of the next building stood both Claw and Talon.

Despite the fact that they were several floors higher from where he was, Daniel could see the smile on Claw's face as he lifted a hand in greeting to the boy, whereas Talon stood next to the larger mutate, arms crossed in front of his chest, looking rather serious. It was obvious to Daniel that Claw had dropped by to pay him a visit, and he could not have picked a worse time to drop by, and accompanied at that.

"Oh, man, this is bad," Daniel muttered to himself, and immediately brought his hands up and held them in front of him, moving his arms a bit back and forth, and eventually lifting the index finger of each hand. From what he had learned of Claw's sign language, this meant 'wait one second', and the boy immediately rushed out of his room. Turning quickly to the bathroom, he saw his grinning uncle stepping out.

"Check it out, Danny Boy," Fang said, pointing to the tie he had put on. "I managed to get it just right. And I gotta admit, I look pretty damn good."

"Stay in the bathroom until I tell you to," Daniel said in a frantic whisper.

Fang's cheerfulness quickly turned into a confused expression, and then into a nervous scowl. "What's wrong, Daniel?"

"It's Claw and Talon!" Daniel quickly answered. "They're on the rooftop of the next building over, and I know they came to see me!"

Fang stood in stunned silent, but only for a moment, for he quickly started getting very antsy and nervous. "No. No, no, no! Goddammit," he muttered to himself. "I can't let them see me in here, or I'm screwed!"

"I'll go up to the roof and tell them it's not the best time to visit," Daniel quickly said, moving to the front door, but was quickly stopped when Fang grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"No, damn it, they'll smell me all over you!" Fang snapped, releasing his startled nephew. "Just… just signal at them through the window, tell them your folks are home or something!"

*

Claw blinked a few times, his smile fading into a look of curiosity and confusion when Daniel got so suddenly startled and frantic upon seeing him and Talon up in the roof. Turning to his friend, he tilted his head slightly, an eyebrow rising a bit. He pointed at the window and then shrugged, letting his friend know he was confused by the boy's behavior.

Talon, for his part, shrugged as well. "He does look pretty nervous," he said.

Claw sighed, looking rather worried now. Taking the notepad and pen he kept on his waistband, he wrote quickly and showed it to Talon. _"Perhaps his parents are home at the moment."_

Reading the note, Talon immediately nodded. "That makes sense," he said. However, he very much doubted that Daniel's nervousness came from his mother and stepfather being home, especially when they would not be able to notice him and Claw if Daniel stayed in his room while communicating with them.

While making sure nobody else was looking up at where they stood, the two mutates waited a little longer, and eventually Daniel returned to the window of his bedroom, still looking a little frantic. He came up to the window again and looked up at the mutates. First he pointed at himself, then he pointed to his door, and next he made motions as though he were putting up make-up, followed by his bringing his fist close to his face, pretending he was drinking from a bottle. Finally, he looked up at the mutates and shrugged, looking apologetic. Talon and Claw looked at this display of pantomime, and then looked at one another, with Claw looking rather amused.

"Yes, he definitely has been spending a lot of time around you," Talon told him, causing the tiger-man to grin and shrug, then both turned back to look at the boy. "Sure seems like he means his parents are home, or at least his stepfather."

Now certain he'd be unable to more properly chat with the boy, Claw nodded while looking at Daniel, gave the boy a thumbs up and also shrugged apologetically. Daniel nodded as well, understanding Claw's message, and he sent one more, first by pointing at himself, then at his eye and finally at Claw. Not sure how to continue, he simply used his hand to form the word 'soon' letter by letter with his fingers, letting his mutated friend know he'd see him soon. Finally, he waved goodbye and exited his room.

Straightening up, Talon reached and patted Claw's shoulder. "Well, at least you got to see him, and he's okay. Come on, Goliath and the others should be waiting for us by now," he said. The tiger-man followed Talon to the opposite edge of the building and jumped off, wings spreading and flapping as the mutates rose higher to better avoid being seen.

Still, calm as he remained on the outside, Talon was very conflicted on the inside. The boy had been too frantic, too nervous and acted quite suspiciously, especially when there really was no danger of the mutates being discovered. From what he saw, Daniel seemed more intent on making them leave, and that could only mean he had something to hide. Yes, there was no doubt for Talon now. He was absolutely certain that Fang was hiding out in Daniel's apartment. The panther mutate was quite glad that now they knew where he was hiding, and could proceed from there. Unfortunately, at least for now, he had no idea how to approach that development in a way that would bring no harm to Daniel, his family or any others.

*

After making sure he could see the winged figures flying off in the night sky, Daniel sighed in relief and left his room. Making his way to the bathroom, he came upon his very tense looking uncle, who was crouching down, electricity crackling in his fists, as though he were ready for a fight. As soon as Daniel peeked in, Fang looked up eagerly.

"Are they gone?" he immediately asked, to which Daniel replied with a nod. Sighing softly, the electricity in his fists dying down, Fang stood up straight, visibly calmer now. "Thank goodness. Shit, I don't remember the last time I got this spooked."

"I noticed," Daniel said in a low voice as he rubbed his arm, "considering you almost yanked my arm off."

Fang was momentarily taken aback, and then looked as apologetic as he could, patting his nephew's shoulder. "Oh, damn. Danny, I'm so sorry about that. I just panicked. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay, Uncle," Daniel said as he stopped rubbing his arm. "Just be a little more calm next time, okay? They didn't catch you, after all, so it's all good."

"It's all good for now, Danny. But sooner or later they could catch us off-guard and catch a glimpse at me, and then we'd really be in for it. Meaning, I really have to find Demona as soon as possible and hope she cuts me some slack." Walking into Daniel's bedroom, he checked himself in the mirror, readjusting his new tie. Daniel followed him, looking forlorn, which the cougar-man noticed quickly. "What's wrong, Danny Boy? You're looking pretty down for someone who just saved his uncle's ass for the third time in just a couple of weeks."

"It's just that, if you do find her and she gives you a break and a new place to stay, then that means you won't be here anymore," he said in a low voice. "Or at least not as often. I mean, I've really, really liked having you here every day. I really missed you, and I don't want you to go off again."

Fang couldn't help but smile, sitting on the bed and invitingly patting the space next to him. "That's okay, Danny Boy," he said as Daniel sat next to him, putting an arm around the child's shoulders. "Might not have been easy to stay here undetected, but I really liked to be here with you too. But if I manage to get me a new place, that's not gonna change. It'll be the same as if I had gotten to stay at Xanathos's place. I'll come visit you as much as I can, and that's a promise. I'm not leaving my favorite nephew again."

Daniel smiled when his uncle promised him that, and he leaned closer to hug the mutate, who hugged him firmly as well. When they broke the hug, Fang grinned. "So, how do I look?"

"You look great," Daniel told him, also grinning. "See, I told you a tie would make you look cool."

"Much appreciated, kiddo," Fang thanked Daniel. "I do look pretty damn good, I admit. Now, I better head out and see if I can spot Demona. Wish me luck, Danny."

"Good luck, uncle!" Daniel exclaimed, as Fang walked to the bedroom window and squeezed out of it.

"See you later, little pal," Fang whispered into the window, and then quickly and carefully moved up along the fire escape stairs, making sure to not be seen. Once at the roof, he leaped into the night sky and soared away.

*

Fang grumbled under his breath as he landed on the rooftop of an office building near the Nightstone Unlimited building, while holding his tie firmly in one hand. While he admitted he looked good with it, that it went well with his sleeveless, white, button-up shirt, he decided to make sure to not wear one again if he was to go out flying. Having the long, thin piece of cloth fluttering all over the place and smacking him in the face as he flew was highly annoying, and so he found himself having to hold it still the entire time.

He sat at the edge of the building, relieved at the chance to rest his wings, folding them around his shoulders. He had quickly arrived at the Nightstone building, and had waited for about an hour for any sign of Demona, but it was not to be. Quickly afterwards, he took off once more, and had crisscrossed the city, making stops at the spots he remembered Demona mentioning to her daughter Angela during their conversations while she had been captive alongside him. Still, he saw no sign of the female gargoyle, after having searched for a couple of hours, made a little more difficult due to the fact that he was also in constant lookout for Goliath and his clan, and this only slowed down his search. But Fang was not one to give up, so he merely returned to the first stop in his search and decided to just wait there for a while longer.

And wait he did, of course, for a couple of hours more. He paced the roof of the building, growing increasingly nervous and impatient. "Man, nothing to do, nothing to do," he mumbled to himself, pointing at the edge of the building and throwing a small bolt of electricity, blowing a few tiny chunks off of the structure, just to have something to do.

It was then when an idea came to him. Remembering the little practice session he had in Daniel's living room, where he tried to harness a large amount of electricity in one fist, he wondered if he could do it again. Having nothing better to do, the cougar-man looked around at the skies, and when he saw no sign of any winged figures gliding around, he walked to the center of the roof. Tossing his dangling tie over his shoulder so it wouldn't get in the way, he held his right wrist with his left hand, and concentrated in directing the flow of electricity in his whole body to just his fist.

Since he was now in an open space, Fang saw no need to worry about his surroundings, and thus could let loose. His fur bristled and stood on end as electricity crackled from his fist, accumulating more and more until Fang's entire fist could barely be seen due to the amount of electricity stored there. "Holy shit," he mumbled to himself, holding his wrist firmly to keep his trembling fist steady. "I think I could take an elephant down with this."

The electricity in Fang's fist was now so much that it was difficult for him to control it, and stray bolts kept coming off of it, harmlessly striking the building's roof around him, and so Fang continued. He was breathing deeply, gritting his teeth, still adding more and more electricity to his fist, so much that it now shook and trembled even though he held on firmly to his wrist, until he finally felt he had enough.

"Now let's really see what a full-charged 'Taser Punch' can do," he uttered to himself. Growling, he then crouched and punched at the roof itself. He had most definitely not expected the blow to have such power behind it, for the structure gave away, forming a wide hole as debris crumbled onto the floor down, and the cougar-man yelped as he almost tumbled down the hole himself, struggling to regain his balance.

"Oh, shit!" Panicked, Fang quickly looked down onto the floor below, and sighed in relief when he saw nothing but a deserted hallway. Still, he knew that there might be night security on watch inside the building, so he'd rather not be around if they showed up. Running to the edge of the building and leaping, Fang took off for the roof of another nearby building, and he snarled in annoyance when his tie once again smacked him on the face before he could grab it and hold it still. "Dammit, I really need to find a place to practice. I think I really might be on to something here with the electricity thing."

Landing atop the roof of another building, still in sight of the Nightstone Unlimited one, Fang sighed and sat on the edge. Using all that electricity had taken a lot out of him, he realized, feeling a little exhausted. He made sure to, from now on, keep in mind that it was his electricity that gave him the energy for his wings to carry all his weight and fly, and so set his mind to practicing more on his control of electricity flow into his fists for his new trick. His thoughts were still on this when he suddenly spotted a familiar, winged figure take off from the roof of Nightstone Unlimited.

"Bingo!" he exclaimed, taking off in pursuit of the female gargoyle. "Finally found you, ice queen."

Not wishing to suddenly startle Demona, Fang stayed well behind her, but always keeping her in sight. It also bought him time to think thoroughly about what he would say to her. This being basically a job interview, Fang was determined in not screwing up and do the best he could to convince Demona to give him a chance. He followed her through the city for a few minutes, and while still practicing on how to make a good argument for himself, a sudden movement caught his eye.

It happened so fast that Fang barely managed to see it. He caught a quick glimpse of a flash of light, and Demona suddenly veering sharply in midair, almost losing control, and he could see that she had just managed to avoid something. Immediately, the female gargoyle was being shot at repeatedly by what Fang now recognized as lasers, causing Demona to quickly change directions, and Fang followed suit. She kept going, around buildings, moving further away from the laser blasts. Very curious as to who was attacking the female gargoyle, Fang used all the strength he could muster to fly faster, and drew closer, closer, until he reached Demona, gliding quickly alongside her.

"Hey, Demona!" he called out. "What's with the shooting?"

Startled by the mutate, Demona snarled as she turned to look at him. "Fang? Now is not a good time!"

"Just thought I'd…"

The cougar-man was unable to finish his sentence, because a booming sound filled the air. Both Fang and Demona barely managed to evade a net that had been shot at them by someone in a rooftop. Though they had not been caught in it, the sudden change of direction caused the two flyers to veer in-between two buildings, and gasp when they saw that they were in an alleyway. Flapping their wings to stop and prevent themselves from crashing against the wall, the gargoyle was forced to land due to the lack of strong wind currents, and Fang followed suit. The moment they landed, Demona suddenly turned and grabbed Fang by his shirt, slamming him onto the nearest wall.

"You imbecile!" she snarled, her eyes glowing a furious red. "If you had not distracted me, I would have seen him and properly evaded him!"

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry!" Fang exclaimed, startled. "How was I supposed to know there was somebody up there?"

Demona ignored him, backing away from him and facing the entrance of the alley, a low growl escaping her. Fang turned as well, and saw several figures approaching. They were dressed in dark clothing, wearing hoods that concealed their identities, with a symbol that looked like a sledgehammer inside a circle on their chests. But after a quick glimpse at their clothing, Fang's attention went immediately and solely to the sledgehammers they carried.

"Who the hell are these guys?" he asked in a low voice.

"Quarrymen," was the gargoyle's growled reply.

Fang's eyes were wide now. He had heard about these Quarrymen while he was imprisoned, and he never liked what he heard. He had always wanted to avoid them, if possible, but now he and Demona were cornered and surrounded. Looking up for a way out, the cougar-man groaned nervously when he saw that more Quarrymen were perched up in the rooftops and the nearest fire escape, and one by one their sledgehammers lighted up with electricity. Backing off a bit, Fang was overcome with a sense of dread, and could only shake his head at his bad luck.

"Oh, crap…"

**To be continued…**

Author's Extra Note: It sure has been ages since I last updated this, huh? Well, let's just say things have gotten complicated this year for me, and so my writing has suffered. Nevertheless, I've not given up on this story, and will do my damn best to keep it going.


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